


Echo Sounder

by olivemeister



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Mild Fantasy, Other, Things Aren't As They Appear, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-21
Updated: 2013-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-27 04:31:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 20,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/974362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivemeister/pseuds/olivemeister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the day they met, Tachibana Makoto was aware that vague, inexplicable transfer student Nanase Haruka wasn't exactly an average person. He just never realized how different Haru really was until years later, when a new arrival appeared to underline it. </p><p>Eventual MakoHaru and Reigisa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Echo sounder; noun: a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return.

The day they met was, in fact, earlier than Makoto knew. Though he held fond memories of the day he and Haruka became friends, he wasn't actually correct in the end. The end of his dramatic summer had found him more nervous and anxious than he should have been, but the advent of classes in fall brought a new face into the crowd of his life. A face that enchanted him, drew his attention from his new good-luck charm and banished his shaky nerves. 

It was a meeting that changed everything for him.

Haruka was thin and pale and awkward, but endearing in ways that Makoto could never explain. He had bright blue eyes that sparkled, a fixation with water in almost all forms, and he was, by all means, weird. Though it would be years before he understood the gravity of it, Makoto was instantly entranced by this other boy, who spoke little and kept to himself. He quickly learned that Haruka wouldn't answer any questions about his life up to this point beyond basic details. His parents lived overseas, and he had moved to live with an elusive grandmother who seemed to share Haru's passion for the ocean. It was just as well, as Makoto's rocky past with the sea made him far less fond of it.

Haruka was thirteen years old, a little bit younger than Makoto, when they met on that first day of school. And, as if they had known each other for years, the two boys became fast friends. Makoto's doting, caring nature coupled with Haruka's complete ignorance of social norms and borderline obsessive personality perfectly. Soon they were an inseparable pair, quickly picking up both steam and an enthusiastic follower in Nagisa, a boy one year their junior. He was excitable and happy, and while he never was as bizarrely close to the pair as they were to each other, Nagisa was an astute boy who never seemed hurt by the difference in affections between the friends. They all cared about each other in different ways, and they all understood it.

Although, really, Haruka and Nagisa understood a lot more than Makoto did. But they never spoke a word of it, though there were miles and miles of unspoken conversations between them. The year Makoto and Haruka entered their final year of middle school, Nagisa's tearful admission of having to move to another town shattered their little group. Their parting was a bitter affair, and suddenly, Makoto and Haruka were a duo again. 

As they grew up together, he suspected that Haruka had something subtly different going on in his brain. He never cared whether or not Haruka was autistic, and Haruka never voiced anything on the matter. Makoto never broached the subject- after all, Haruka was his dearest friend, and he didn't care if he was different. Haruka was fully capable of taking care of himself- not that it ever stopped Makoto from scaring the living daylight out of anyone who decided to press into him. (It stopped in middle school, after an incident involving locker vandalization had resulted in Makoto becoming “Really, really scary.”) Makoto never suspected that Haruka's unique personality was the result of something more obscure than living mostly on his own, more odd than a handful of atypical quirks or possible neurological differences.

He didn't care when behavior between them that was deemed inappropriate as they grew older continued into their late teens. The teasing of classmates rolled off him. Makoto and Haruka became a unit, and while it was always questioned, they were simply such a storybook pair that no one was really concerned. Friday nights, Haru came over for dinner, and Makoto's family was almost as fond of him as Makoto was. His younger, twin siblings treated Haruka as a second big brother, and his parents doted on him. Though at first he took the attention awkwardly, Haruka was now a Tachibana in all but name.

High school brought Nagisa back, peppier and bouncier than ever, and he dragged with him another boy in his grade, Rei, who seemed, more than anything, to be a reluctant carry-on that Nagisa refused to let go of. But Rei was intelligent and dependable, and he had a demeanor to him that reminded Makoto a little bit of Haru. At first, he maintained an awkward distance, but it soon vanished with the reassurance that he wasn't a fourth wheel to an awkward tricycle. He brought a much-needed layer of realism to their ensemble.

In the end, they all offered to each other what the others couldn't; Makoto's kind and gentle leadership, Nagisa's unbridled cheer, Rei's stalwart logic and common sense, and Haruka's inexplicable, quiet care. It was, in all honesty, like a family coming together out of a group of strangers. Though there were obviously things that went unsaid, no one felt the need to pry or pester- except for Nagisa, and even his unrestrained thirst for secrets knew limits of common decency. It was an inevitable cliché when something appeared to challenge it.

The disaster rolled in like a storm in the body of a teenage boy. Like that day so many years ago, a transfer student arrived at Iwatobi high school. A student about as bizarre as Haru had been at the time, but in a completely different way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With that backstory out of the way, welcome to chapter 2.

Matsuoka Rin arrived like a slap in the face. Tall, lean, and tan, with red hair so bright it couldn't possibly have been natural- as well as an attitude. The first day of classes, he'd sat directly behind Haru, poking at him with his pen and generally pestering. There was an air of familiarity between them, but one tinged with discomfort. Makoto was a passive observer for a while, knowing that he didn't need to defend Haruka. But...

“Pssst. Haru. Don't fucking ignore me.”

The second Makoto opened his mouth to retort- why did Rin have to be so rude? Couldn't he see Haru was trying to focus on something?- the redhead gave him a blistering look. A look full of blame, though he was helpless to understand why. Makoto didn't say a word. But like a switch had been flipped, Haru turned in his seat to face Rin. There was something in his expression that Makoto had never seen; not quite anger, not quite sorrow, but a mix of the two; more importantly, it was a plea for understanding.

Rin's troublemaking ceased almost immediately after that. Something had been conveyed through that expression, and the other boy didn't like it at all. It was hard to miss how Rin channeled that dissatisfaction into his work, his pen cutting too deep into the pages, the way his hands balled into fists.

Makoto was glad that Nagisa and Rei were in a different class.

When lunch finally arrived, it brought with it another oddity. Instead of their normal routine, Haruka – with clear reluctance on his face – said, “Go ahead without me. I have to talk to him.”

It stung, but Makoto knew it was important. So, with slightly less grace than he'd have liked, he smiled and waved his friend off. Every bit of him ached to follow, to listen in. Determined to not allow it to affect him too strongly, Makoto turned to his own private comfort object, eating his lunch in silence.

The strip of fur almost never left his bag. It wasn't the softest of furs, and Makoto firmly believed it to be fake either way. But he'd found it at the turning point of the worst day of his life, and he kept it always as a good luck charm. After all, it had appeared right when he'd been saved, laying abandoned on that same beach.

Once, Nagisa had absent-mindedly picked it up, holding onto it without thinking until Makoto had left. When Haruka had held it out to him the next day, saying he must have dropped it – obviously a lie – Nagisa's expression had flicked from surprised to apologetic in seconds. He'd fessed up immediately to his curious crime; no harm had been done in the end. After that, though, he felt like Nagisa had grown closer to both of them.

Something maybe like a sixth sense brought him out of that reminiscence, and Makoto checked his watch to realize that class was due to start again and Haruka and Rin were still gone. With growing trepidation - he didn't want to eavesdrop on their conversation – he realized he would have to go collect his friend.

What he heard in the hall made him stop and reconsider.

“-as _drowning_. I wouldn't just l-” It was Haru's voice, and the soft anger to his tone made the rest of his sentence unintelligible to Makoto's ears. Unwillingly, he strained to listen, absolutely frozen. The word “drowning” made his heart race and filled his mind with the sound of crashing waves, a boat that no longer bobbed on the ocean's surface. A quiet, lingering fear. The only reason he'd even heard it had been the unusual heat to Haruka's tone. But Rin was already responding, and Makoto had no trouble understanding him.

“So you just packed up and left? You're so fucking stupid! This isn't where you belong and you know it. Do you know how long it took me to _find_ you?” There was passion in that voice, a burning fire of anger and pain. “I thought you were dead, you just vanished one day! If it weren't for Gou I never would have found you again. And now you're telling me you won't come back! _It's not worth it_ , Haru.”

Rin's voice was actually wavering, and suddenly, Makoto felt his stomach lurch. He was hurt. That was why he'd been so annoying to Haruka. This was something major that Haruka had never told him about, and now it was coming back to raise its head. Someone who had cared about him so much, but Makoto had never heard the faintest hint about him.

Something twisted inside him, and he couldn't make out what Haru said in response. It only served to upset Rin more. “I'm not going to leave until I bring you back! Stop being an idiot, you _know_ what me being here means. You have to come back so I can go back with Dad. Haru, fucking look at me! It can't mean this much! Don't give me that Stockholm Syndrome bullshit! Fuck, I'll do it myself and then we can go back home, where you should still be!”

Makoto couldn't listen to it any further, but apparently neither could Haruka. His sharp retort of “We're done here, Rin,” sounded wrong. That frustration didn't suit Haru, and there was a moment of silence all around before Rin began to storm back to the classroom.

As he rounded the corner, his eyes met Makoto's, and there was only one thing beside betrayed contempt in the gaze leveled at him- the barest hint of angry tears.

Neither spoke. The chime announcing the beginning of class began, and, filled with confusion, Makoto went to collect his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's Rin's problem, anyway!?

Haru's silence for the rest of the day was oppressive. It wasn't as if he was normally a loud person, or even a person who spoke an average amount. But rather than his normal air of having nothing to say, this, to Makoto's finely-tuned Haru-sensing skills, was a reluctant silence.

He didn't ask. If Haru needed to say something, he would. Makoto believed that. So he carried on as if it was a normal day, going through the motions. The heavy tension that remained in the air made it more difficult than Makoto would have liked to admit.

When classes ended, they left together as they always did. It wasn't hard to notice Rin following behind them; after all, he made no effort to hide the fact that he was there. But he didn't speak, and Makoto made his usual small talk with the weight of that glare on his back.

“A-and, my mom says you're welcome for dinner tomorrow if you want. The twins miss you.”

Haru made a noncommittal noise that made it obvious that he wasn't really listening. Makoto's gaze slid from staring straight ahead to peer curiously at him, and that was when he realized that the whole time they'd been walking, Haru had been staring at him even though he wasn't hearing a word that was being said.

Makoto swung his head back to face forward, cheeks heating slightly under that intense gaze.

“Makoto.”

“Y-Yeah?”

There was a sudden tug on his sleeve as Haru grabbed onto it. It was subtle and innocent, like a child seeking guidance. It was an odd mirror of what their younger selves had been like; Makoto had never been bashful about grabbing onto Haru whenever something startled him, after all.

Haruka didn't speak again. They walked in silence, and it even seemed that their stubborn pursuer had backed away. Though there were questions bubbling in Makoto's mind, he didn't dare voice them out of the fear that Haru would break their comfortable positions.

When they separated, Haruka trudging with obvious reluctance to his home, Makoto peered around every corner before leaving. Though he wouldn't have admitted it, he was making sure Rin wasn't lurking nearby. When he was satisfied that it wasn't the case, he began walking to his own home.

That was when things went off the rails. Waiting – more like lurking – at the bottom of the stairs by Haru's house, was Rin. His arms were crossed over his chest, a grimace etched into his face. Makoto's eyes met his, and it felt like he'd been slapped with a fish.

The first instinct he had was to go in the opposite direction. But he knew that if he wanted to head this problem off immediately, he would have to show he wasn't afraid of Rin. So, taking a moment to force away the anxious feeling building in his chest, Makoto slowly walked down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, he immediately turned to keep walking without giving Rin any more recognition than a brief nod.

This clearly wasn't enough for the other boy.

“Don't walk away from me,” he spat, and Makoto paused, trying to make it seem like he hadn't been startled by it. Taking a deep breath, he spun to face the angry redhead.

“Did you need something?” It was an effort to keep his voice calm and even. Rin's nostrils flared, and his laugh in response wasn't amused at all.

“Yeah, actually.” When Rin stepped forward, it put him face to face with Makoto with mere inches separating their noses. Rin was a little bit shorter than him; not like the comfortable height difference between himself and Haru, where Makoto could easily rest his chin on the top of Haru's head.

The next words he said popped a bubble of confusion in Makoto's mind. “I want you to give back what you took.”

There was a long, extended moment of silence, before Makoto gave the shakiest response possible. “Haa???”

This was clearly not the correct response, though.

“Don't give me that crap.” A hand fisted itself in Makoto's shirt, and for a moment he thought Rin was going to lift him clear off the ground. “Give back. What. You took. From him.”

Waving his hands, Makoto gave Rin another look that was a mixture of bafflement and terror. “I have no idea what you're talking about. From who, Haru? I haven't taken anything from Haru, he's my best friend.”

A flash of confusion momentarily disturbed Rin's anger. “What? I... I said don't give me that crap! I'm serious here!” His voice hitched, and there was a moment of doubt brief enough that he let go of Makoto. “If you don't have it, then why is he... No, you have it! You son of a bitch, don't lie to me.”

“I'm telling you, I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know what Haru said, b-but sometimes he's not really clear with his words and people have a hard time understanding him. But I wouldn't take something from him without asking. He's too im-” Makoto's words cut off as Rin took a few steps back, covering his mouth with one hand, eyebrows drawn together in thought. “- What? What is it?”

For a long moment, Rin said nothing, continuing to stare. Then, he spoke, and though it was muffled by his hand, Makoto could make out, “Oh my god, he has no idea.”

“... no idea about what?” Nothing about this was comfortable, and Makoto fiddled with the strap of his bag.

“I, uh.” Suddenly, Rin was both completely wordless and almost... unsure? Embarrassed? His teeth – they were _pointy_  , what on earth– dug into his lower lip, and Makoto couldn't stop staring. “I have to go. And. Talk to Haru. S... sorr...”

Too flustered to get the word out, Rin turned tail and fled, leaving Makoto in complete bafflement.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Rin realizes that the Iwatobi gang is weirder than he could have possibly imagined, and Nagisa seems to think they're a bunch of girls at a slumber party.

The next day was a whirl of activity. Nagisa had steamrollered his way into the classroom at lunch, and to Makoto's surprise, paused immediately. His bright eyes locked onto Rin, and a catlike smile spread across his face.

In response, Rin's eyes had widened, and his cheeks reddened just enough to be noticeable. Suddenly scowling, he broke eye contact to look away. Nagisa didn't seem fazed by it, and continued on his bubbly way to Makoto and Haru, beaming. Rei lingered in the doorway, pushing his glasses up nervously. Maybe Rin made him nervous. Makoto couldn't blame him.

“Haru-chan, Mako-chan! You didn't tell me there was a new student in your class!” At those words, Rin's head jerked back to face them, his already wide eyes now bulging comically. A sort of stunned realization crossed over his face, and then Rin made a quiet, strangled noise.

Nagisa's smile was a little less manic than normal, and, unseen to Makoto, who was already digging in his bag for his and Haru's lunches, fairly understanding. He raised a finger to his lips briefly, and then lowered it again. “I'm Nagisa, and the guy with the glasses skulking right outside the classroom is Rei-chan! We're a year below Haru-chan and Mako-chan, and I guess you! It's nice to meet you.”

“... Rin,” the older boy said sullenly, clearly reluctant. Something about Nagisa was putting him on edge, and Makoto couldn't help but feel a brief surge of joy at that. But he banished the thought, chastising himself for it immediately. It was wrong to be happy about someone else being uncomfortable, even if Rin was grating and rude.

But Nagisa was already chattering again, leaning over Haru and tugging at his sleeve. “Come on, Haru-chan, we're eating lunch on the roof today! Come onnnn!” Haru made a grunting noise, and Makoto suspected he'd been dozing off again. Smiling softly, he stood and held a hand out to his friend. Rubbing at one eye, Haru's fingers slipped into his, and he pulled himself to his feet.

“Haru, my mom packed mackerel today, do you want it?” Makoto's voice was quiet, but Haru's eyes lit up as he heard the words anyway. “I think she knows I always give it to you.”

“Tell her I said thanks,” Haru said, not letting go of Makoto's hand. It was a little strange. But somehow, since Rin had arrived, Haruka had been acting a little different. It wasn't like him to be so clingy, but Makoto didn't mind it at all. Somehow, it made him kind of happy.

Though, it seemed that since their enlightening – for Rin, at least; Makoto was more confused than ever – chat the previous night, much of the new boy's hostility was vanishing. He didn't say a word as the pair left the room, dragged all the way by Nagisa. He just scowled and continued writing in his notebook.

Makoto wondered what it was that upset him so much. It would have been better if they could get along, wouldn't it? The thought nagged at him the whole way up to the rooftop. Maybe it was impossible after all.

But Haru's hand was warm in his, and he knew he couldn't be upset with the situation.

The lack of indignant spluttering from Rei was a break from their usual routine. Normally, Nagisa would already be pushing him forward, insisting that he walked too slow. But instead, the blond was a little more restrained. He was grinning manically, but Makoto wondered if it was possible for him not to do so. Rei seemed to have noticed too, and was frowning a little, but it wasn't long before his arm was being snatched and Nagisa was dragging him out the door into the sunlight. Whatever had been on his mind seemed to have passed. That was a relief. Nagisa not being chipper was a sign that something was wrong with the universe.

“Hey, hey. Haru-chan, do you know anything about Rin?”

Nagisa being chipper also meant his unending thirst for knowledge – maybe, even, one could call it gossip – was as active as always. Haru shrugged a little, opening the boxed lunch that Makoto had handed him. Rei scowled a little as Nagisa leaned across his lap to put his face right next to Haru's, continuing to pester for his attention. Makoto gave Rei a sympathetic look. As Nagisa's favorite, he was long-suffering. But Makoto had always figured they made a good match- Nagisa kept Rei from getting too gloomy, and Rei kept Nagisa's more eccentric habits in check.

“Nagisa, stop it,” Rei said, before taking a handful of the back of Nagisa's shirt and pulling him back. “If Haruka-senpai doesn't have any answers for you, shouldn't you stop asking?”

Makoto's eyes slid back to Haru, who paused mid-bite. His lips pursed around the chopsticks between them, and then he made a noise in-between a sigh and a snort. “We used to know each other as kids. I haven't seen him since I moved here.”

And with that, he was back to eating. This clearly wasn't enough of an answer for Nagisa, who continued to ask unimportant questions and get noncommittal answers.

“How old is he?”

“Same age as us.”

“Where is he from?”

“Same town I used to live in.”

“Haru-chaaaaan, that's not an answer! Okay, fine! Does he _like_ you?”

Makoto choked on his food. The tone of Nagisa's question made it clear that it didn't mean “are you friends” and was a little more romantic in nature. Leave it to Nagisa to ask something like that. Rei was also reacting, almost shouting at the other boy for asking such an inappropriate question.

“Dunno.” Haru's tone was as flat as ever.

“Do you like hiiiim?” Nagisa was cut off by Rei slapping a hand over his mouth and yanking him all the way back, berating all the way.

“I said, don't ask questions like that! Besides, they're both boys!”

“Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything! Boys can like boys too, Rei-chan. Don't be such a stick in the mud.”

Makoto gritted his teeth, making himself take another bite of rice as if it didn't matter to him. Was Haruka even the kind of person who could like someone in that way? But the topic seemed to have passed already, with no answer given. Nagisa was chastising Rei about his “old fashioned” way of thinking, and Rei's embarrassed retorts that two men just “wasn't beautiful” were being battered down by sheer enthusiasm.

“What if Mako-chan and Haru-chan were together? Wouldn't that be beautiful? Years of friendship and understanding giving way to a gentle love story! A couple so close they can practically read each others' minds! That has to be beautiful!”

Nagisa's stubbornness knew no bounds. Makoto bit the inside of his cheek, leaning forward with a surprised sound. “Nagisa, don't make stuff like that up!”

“Well, if it was Makoto-senpai and Haruka-senpai...” Rei's tone almost seemed to accede the point. “But that's cheating, using someone like Makoto-sempai and Haruka-sempai!”

Nagisa's victorious cheer coupled by the way Rei held his chin as he considered the two was more than Makoto was willing to stand at the moment.

“What?” He wailed, waving a hand in front of his chest as if dispelling the sudden mood in the air. “Don't be ridiculous. Haru, say something!”

“I don't.” Haruka said flatly, before settling his gaze on Makoto's flustered actions.

“Haruka-senpai, that doesn't make any sense.”

Nagisa nodded along with Rei's words. No one had the slightest clue what Haru was trying to say, even Makoto.

“You asked if I liked Rin. I don't.”

There was a lengthy pause, before Rei said “Then-” and was immediately cut off by Nagisa.

“Oh, then you like someone else?”

“Hn.”

“Ohhhhh you do! Who is it, who is it?” Suddenly, the discussion felt way more like something to be expected of a group of 14 year old girls, rather than 16 year old boys. “This is exciting, I never expected Haru-chan to have a crush!”

Makoto's attempts to dispel the situation, aided by a reluctant Rei – he clearly was torn between wanting to know and wanting to respect Haruka's privacy – had absolutely no effect whatsoever on Nagisa. Eventually, the two gave up and let the shorter boy just stare eagerly at Haruka as he ate his lunch, waiting for him to speak. He chewed for a few seconds, swallowed, and then, with a look on his face that Makoto couldn't place, answered.

“Not telling.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ready, set... Kou?!
> 
> This chapter's a little shorter, but it came out a little earlier than expected too!

As the days passed, Rin's integration into Iwatobi became more and more bizarre to Makoto. After his initial flustered meeting with Nagisa, the pair seemed to get along decently; in fact, Rei had told him – with a look that was somewhat jealous – that he'd spotted them hunched over a desk together, having some kind of serious conversation. It seemed there was some kind of loop that Makoto himself and Rei were excluded from.

When he'd spotted him with a girl, it was a bit of a shock. Every once in a while, despite how odd it always seemed, Nagisa would receive a love confession from girls who had never spoken with him. Maybe it was the strange charm he'd always had that drew them, but he'd never accepted any of them. It just wasn't like him to date someone; the idea of Nagisa in a relationship was as alien as Haru being peppy.

But the girl looked familiar, and she wasn't stammering and handing him a letter; Makoto couldn't place what it was that he recognized. Well, until Rin turned the corner and it became glaringly obvious even without the affirmation from the girl herself. The sibling resemblance between them was strong enough that Makoto was a little ashamed that it took them standing next to each other for him to realize it.

Nagisa spotted him at that point, and waved him over enthusiastically. There was a brief scowl that crossed Rin's face, but as soon as they made eye contact it vanished, like he hadn't realized who Nagisa was calling out to. Whatever Rin had figured out from their conversation had put a damper on his previously rampant dislike of Makoto, and now he was practically shy in his manner. Makoto didn't think about it much; Rin seemed to have made a snap decision that he regretted now, and wasn't the kind of person who could just apologize. He wouldn't hold it against the other boy, who greeted him under his breath.

“Morning, Nagisa, Rin. Is this your sister, by any chance? It's nice to meet you.” It didn't hurt to be polite, even if it was obvious who she was. The girl smiled a little, but before she could introduce herself, Nagisa interrupted as always.

“This is Rin-chan's little sister, Gou-cha-” He didn't get the rest of the word out before she was correcting him, a plastic smile on her face. “It's Kou, _Na-gi-sa_.” The way she said his name made it clear that he'd done this at least once before, and she was sick of it.

Not giving Nagisa a chance to re-ignite the situation, Makoto introduced himself, in time for Rei to arrive and begin another round of greetings. This time, Rin's scowl remained until Kou nudged it out of him. He may have warmed up to Makoto, but Rin was seemingly intent on ignoring Rei. The conversation went on regardless.

“So you don't live together?” Makoto asked, fingers twisting around the strap of his bag. He was never sure what to do with his hands when Haru wasn't around. When he'd stopped by Haru's house, the other boy had refused to get out of his tub – a fairly normal occurrence. How he managed to pass his classes was always a mystery. “That's rare for siblings these days!”

“Well, our dad's work means that he has to travel a lot, and Rin decided that he would go with him to keep him company! But our mom has to stay here; she can't just pack up and move all the time with her health.” Kou explained, adding that her mother was prone to chronic illness and had to spend a lot of her time indoors.

“I wasn't expecting Rin to come back any time soon though! I guess if it weren't for Haruka-san, he'd still be with dad.” There was a hint of something in Kou's voice that wasn't entirely happy. “Speaking of Haruka-san, where is he?”

“Probably skipping again,” Nagisa said, lips pursed in a childish pout. “Haru-chan skips all the time, but Mako-chan isn't strict enough with him! That's supposed to be the wife's job, isn't it? Making sure the husband does what he's supposed to!”  
“Nagisa-kun,” Rei said through gritted teeth, as Makoto covered his face with one hand. “Don't go giving people the wrong idea!”

“But Mako-chan is the wife! Haru-chan can't be the wife, he's too... Haru-chan for that!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Rin cut in loudly, before giving Makoto an indecipherable look. “What about him makes him the wife anyway?”

There was a pause as the others peered at Makoto, as if weighing things in their mind. Then, Nagisa pulled them into a huddle from which whispers emanated along the lines of “Seems like the most reliable person in the world,” and “His smile is just like a mother's”, and even “And then _Haru_ is...”

With red cheeks, Makoto walked to class alone, leaving them to their mortifying discussion.


	6. Bonus 1 - Samezuka Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short bonus chapter featuring a gallant beginning to a misguided courtship.

Nitori had never really put any stock into the crazy things his senpai did. Mikoshiba-senpai was a really enthusiastic person, and the idea of giving up seemed to be completely absent from his mind. He thought, maybe, that this time he was biting off more than he could chew.

He hadn't been with the captain of the Samezuka swim team when he'd had his so-called “fateful encounter,” but he suspected it had been much more mundane than the way Mikoshiba described it. After peeling back the layers of soft pink bubbles and clearly biased descriptions, Nitori had pieced together that while shopping for a new pair of jammers, he'd run into a girl from another school and instantly become infatuated. 

So now, against his more sensible wishes, they were in the midst of what could only be called a stake-out. The plan was to position themselves near the gate of Iwatobi high school, the uniform of which the girl had been wearing, and “accidentally” run into her. Nitori was dragged along to make it more convincing, though it was one of the most ridiculous things he'd ever been a part of in the years of knowing Mikoshiba. Somehow, he thought that this was going just a little bit too far.

But, without a hitch, the inane plan worked- except for one thing that neither boy had been expecting. Walking with her was an insurmountable obstacle in the form of an older brother. So when Mikoshiba seamlessly pulled off almost bumping into the girl and then apologizing, it got the harsh reply of “Watch where you're going!”

Things went off the rails from that moment on. The girl – Nitori had to admit that she was cute, but probably not as cute as Mikoshiba thought – gave him a puzzled but apologetic look, chastising her brother for being so rude to a stranger. “I'm so sorry about him, he has no manners! Well, bye!”

Mikoshiba spluttered for a moment, his cheeks heating, and it was clear that whatever he'd planned to say was gone. Nitori sighed a little to himself as the siblings continued on their way. Looks like he'd blown it, as expected.

But as they trudged back to their own campus, Mikoshiba didn't seem perturbed in the least. In fact, he was already brainstorming new ways to encounter her. Maybe, to someone as positive as Mikoshiba, the idea of an obstacle only made him more excited.

Maybe Mikoshiba was an idiot.

When Nitori glanced back, his eyes met another, vivid red pair. The older brother had looked back at the same moment, a scowl etched into his face. Nitori shivered a little at the expression, quickly turning to face forward again.

What a scary look! He wondered what the older boy would look like if he were smiling.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto fails to read the atmosphere, and... something's up with Nagisa!?

The next day, Nagisa was absent. It was something that had never happened in Makoto's recent memory, and somehow it disturbed him more than he could voice. Rei seemed to share his concern, as well as a heavy heaping of self-blame. Which was really rather foolish, given that the only basis for that was that the previous night, Nagisa had bought him a popsicle, and, upon his staunch refusal, had eaten it himself. After a long discussion on whether or not ice cream could go bad, Haru had bluntly suggested going to visit him after school.

Everyone decided immediately that it was a great idea, and followed it up by explaining why they couldn't go. Rei had track practice, Rin and Kou were bringing their mother to the doctor - “And plus, we don't know him nearly as well as you do,” Kou had added - and Haru... Well, Haru had no reason not to go. So when classes let out, the pair headed out. Rei had started to give them a message to pass on beyond apologizing for not being able to go with them, before rethinking it and realizing he could just text the other boy. When they'd left, he'd been staring at his phone in concentration, a slight flush on his face as he typed, erased, retyped.

Rei took things too seriously, after all.

Nagisa hadn't come to the door. He'd spoken to them over the doorbell intercom, sounding completely awful, and explained that he didn't want what he had to get them. In a voice that sounded like he had a throat full of pebbles, Nagisa coughed out the words “Thanks for stopping by, but I'm really feeling awful. Could you tell Rei-chan not to worry? Or just... keep him from worrying. I'll get over it soon, I promise.”

Whatever it was that Nagisa had sounded terrible, enough that it was almost beyond belief. After exchanging a few sentences, Makoto had ordered him back to bed. After all, sleep was the best thing for someone so sick.

On the way home, Haru had stuck close to his side. Makoto typed out a text to Rei explaining the situation, and the pair agreed that the next day, Rei would stop by. Hopefully, Nagisa would pull through his illness with the same kind of unbeatable energy that he did everything with.

“Makoto.” Haru's voice was quiet, and when Makoto turned to face him, his expression was a little unsure.

“Haru?”

“Do you... remember when we first met?”

Smiling softly, Makoto nodded. “The first day of school when we were thirteen, huh? It was a busy day, as I recall.”

Haruka didn't respond for a long time, even for him. “... Yeah. It was.”

 

Somehow, Makoto got the feeling that something had been missed here.

~

Nagisa had curled into a ball, sniffling a little as he clutched his cell phone. Makoto and Haruka had come to visit, but he couldn't have them come in and realize he wasn't really sick. So he'd faked it as best he could, maybe laying it on too thick in the end. Of course, he wasn't going to tell them what had kept him out of classes – especially not Makoto or Rei. Haru, maybe, had begun to catch on, and if he did, Rin would as well. Nagisa had known this was inevitable, but that didn't make him any happier about what was happening.

After all, if he couldn't figure out what to do, he'd never be able to hang out with Makoto and Rei ever again. It would be too dangerous to even be in the same room as Rei; Nagisa had come to the horrifying realization that he wasn't in control of himself anymore, and it was the most frightening thing in his life. Even knowing in advance that this would happen, just another fact of life, when it finally occurred he'd still not managed to come up with a plan to deal with it.

He couldn't type out a response to Rei's message.“ _Whatever I said to upset you, I'm sorry. Please answer me._ ” It was funny how Rei could be so close to being right, yet so utterly wrong at the same time.

His mother's voice rang out from downstairs, and he pulled the blankets over his head.

“ _Nagisa_! Come down here right now! You need to eat, or you'll make yourself sick!”

Scrubbing tears from his face, Nagisa muffled a sob. Eating was the last thing he wanted to do. But soon she'd send one of his sisters up, and they'd see how pathetic he was being.

Instead of responding to her, with shaking hands he slowly tapped out a text. “ _I'm not upset with you. Sorry, Rei-chan._ ”

It was really the most he could manage.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto makes an ill-advised visit to a sick friend. And then, something really bizarre happens.
> 
> (Warning: the end of this chapter is NSFW! Read at your own risk.)

Days turned into a week, then a second, and Nagisa remained absent. To everyone's surprise, when Rei had gone to visit him, Nagisa had proceeded to send him away. The next day, Rei had been absent- not because he was ill, but because he'd gotten so upset that he'd made himself sick. It was growing clear that whatever was going on, it was deeply routed in Nagisa's head. Haru had freely volunteered to visit most days, and stubbornly rejected all of Makoto's offers to go with him.

Obviously something was going on behind his back, and though Makoto's patience seemed infinite, in reality it was finally unraveling. With a growing sense of unease, Makoto made his decision. There really wasn't any other option in his mind. So he shadowed Haru, waiting for the other boy to leave the Hazuki residence. He seemed tired and anxious, and it only strengthened Makoto's resolve. Whatever was going on was upsetting everyone, not just Rei. There was no longer any doubt in his mind that Nagisa was faking being sick, and that scared him more than the thought that he just had a stubborn cold or mild flu. 

When he rang the doorbell, it was a bit of a surprise to see one of Nagisa's sisters answer. She was tall and thin, with proportions that seemed impossible, and the smile she leveled at him wasn't entirely innocent. "Did you come to visit Nagisa too? Your friend just left. Say..." She paused, looking him over for a fraction of a second too long. "Maybe you should come in."

Something in her manner made Makoto nervous as he took his shoes off, stepping into the house. Even when she cheerfully called Nagisa down the stairs something seemed off, and her addition of  "And while you're down here, make sure you  _eat_ something!" rang a mild alarm bell in Makoto's head.

Nagisa's head peeked around the corner at the top of the stairs, before quickly retreating. "Mako-chan! S-sorry, but I can't come see you."

His sister scoffed, and Makoto found himself agreeing with her on this one. The expression she aimed at him seemed to say "Good luck," and then she sighed and disappeared into another room, leaving Makoto standing in the hall.

He wasn't sick - at least, not physically. "Nagisa, I know you're upset about something, so why won't you talk to me about it?" Makoto's tone turned to his no-nonsense voice, the one he used on his twin siblings when they misbehaved. "I'm coming up there whether you like it or not, this has gone on long enough."

Nagisa's response was a strangled noise, and it was followed by the sound of a door slamming. By the time Makoto had climbed the stairwell, the door had already been locked and the only thing he could do was bang on it. "Nagisa! Whatever is going on, we want to help you! Rei's worried out of his mind, and even Haru is exhausted! Let me in already!"

"I _can't_! I'm sorry!" Nagisa's voice cracked on his words, and Makoto's hand, poised to knock again, slid uselessly down the door. He was in there all alone, crying. "I can't tell you what's going on, and I can't let you in! I'm sorry, Mako-chan!"

Cursing under his breath, Makoto sighed. "Nagisa..."

"I know." The muffled sob that followed broke his heart. "I know, believe me!"

Resting his forehead against the thin wood of the door, Makoto grasped at straws. "I don't need to know what's wrong with you. I just... want to help. If there's anything, I don't care what it is, if there's  _anything_ I can do, I don't want you to hesitate about it. Will... will you at least promise me you'll let me help you?"

Nagisa was quiet for a while, and the only thing Makoto could hear with his straining ears was the sound of tissues being pulled from a packet. And then, softly, he heard the words, "... Okay. I will."

It was a relief, and something that had bunched up in his chest eased up a little. But then, there was the sound of a door opening downstairs, a surprised, feminine gasp, and then feet on stairs.

Haru rounded the corner with an expression on his face that took him aback. " _Makoto._ "

"Har-" His words cut off as Haru snatched his hand and began dragging him down the stairs. The other boy was angry, he was sure, but he had no idea why. "Haru! Wait, what are you doing?!  _Haru!_ " _  
_

"I stopped by your house and you weren't there. We're leaving. Come on." The front door was slammed behind them, and Makoto barely had the chance to nod to Nagisa's sister with an apologetic look before they were gone.

Haru sulked all the way to the Tachibana household, and nothing Makoto said alleviated his mood. Even so, he was sick of this.

"Haru, are you going to just ignore me or is someone going to tell me what's going  _on_ here? I could let it slide for a long time, but this isn't fair! You, and Nagisa, and Rin too! What are you not telling me? Rei, too! Are we just going to keep floundering out of the loop and worried out of our minds?"

The startled look he got in response was almost enough to make him regret what he'd said. Haru chewed on his bottom lip, clearly upset. "I can't tell you. It's Nagisa's business. We're working on it, but until then you need to... keep on like this."

It didn't make him feel any better. In fact, it only seemed to add a little fuel to the frustrated fire building in Makoto. "And what about  _you_ , Haru? You have things you won't tell me too! Normally I'd be fine with that because you're my friend and I respect your privacy, but this is getting to the point where I don't feel like I know you anymore, and that scares me!" It was true, he realized, even as the words spilled from him. "I'm scared that you're drifting away from me, and I don't know what to do about it. You're the most important person in the world to me, Haru! So why can't you trust me?"

Makoto knew he was right, but it didn't make the pained look on Haru's face easier to bear. He mumbled, "I do trust you," under his breath, not able to meet Makoto's eyes. The taller boy felt like screaming in frustration, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

So instead, deflated, he could only say, "Then... please, just prove it."

Without saying a word, Haru slipped his hand into Makoto's, squeezing it silently. They didn't speak for a long time, before Makoto sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry. I'm just so frustrated with everything that's going on, and I'm taking it out on you."

"... It's fine. And... I'm sorry too."

In regretful silence, they continued walking home.

~

 _"Makoto, look at me." Haru's voice was quiet, but full of something heavy and meaningful. His hands settled on Makoto's bare thighs, lips way too close to the other boy's groin. Makoto bit his tongue, unable to react in any meaningful way. His limbs felt numb, and he couldn't formulate a single thought beyond_ "He's going to do it, oh my god."

_There was a determined look on his friend's face as he stared up at Makoto, and before he knew it, Haruka was lowering his head, his mouth closing over the twitching shaft in front of him. Makoto hissed in shock, completely lost in that brief second. "H-Haru, don't-"_

_It wasn't as if Haru was going to listen, and he bobbed his head a few times, taking Makoto deep into his throat, lips and tongue creating a suction that made Makoto's mind go blank. He wouldn't stop looking up as well, his blue eyes fixed clearly on Makoto's, and something in his gaze was... satisfied. Like he'd been wanting to do this for a long time. Makoto's hands clenched uselessly, not knowing what to do. When Haruka pulled back with a wet sound that was way too lewd, he murmured, "You can put them on my head, you know."_

_Haru's hair was coarse under his fingers, a familiar sensation. The feeling of Haru working on his groin were maddening, and Makoto couldn't do much more than hold on and gasp. He'd never gotten a blowjob, and he hadn't been expecting the experience any time soon. He'd never imagined anything like this- nothing like a hot, wet mouth surrounding him, lavishing attention on his dick. Nothing like Haruka's eyes gleaming with desire, contentment, comfort. He could go mad like this._

_How had this even started? He couldn't remember. Every part of his mind was fixated on how amazing he felt, how crazy it all was, how good it was. "H-Haru," he stammered, before the other boy was reaching up with one hand. Makoto was silenced by a pair of fingers pushing into his mouth, and, thoughtlessly, he began to suck on them. He couldn't bear this; the faintly salty taste of Haru's skin, the sweat that rolled down his cheeks, the feeling of lips and tongue and even, gently, teeth on his shaft. He was going to lose control, embarrassingly quickly, under the ministrations of his best friend._

_The strangled noise he made was enough of a warning to Haru, whose eyes lidded lazily. He pulled away, leaving Makoto straining and panting, and smiled. "Go ahead," he whispered, and then his lips were back on Makoto and he was going to lose his mind, he couldn't possibly hold on, not with those eyes staring up expectantly at him. Not with that satisfied noise Haruka made as he swallowed Makoto's entire length, his nose bumping against his abdomen. With a shuddering cry, every muscle tensing and jerking, he spilled himself._

"H-Haru-!"

Makoto's eyes opened into the darkness of his room, a fading heat still throbbing in his groin. Breathing hard, he pulled himself into a sitting position. It had been a long time since he'd had a wet dream, and he'd never had one about...

His cheeks burned. What did that even mean? Having a dream like that, about _Haru?_  Makoto wasn't an idiot, but the ramifications of what had just happened were far too much for the middle of the night. The thought that he was subconsciously attracted to Haru was a whirl of emotions, and he couldn't even begin to sort them out. His mind was too fuzzy.

But as he stood to go clean himself up, Makoto realized that his pants were dry.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Makoto and Rei are awkward, and Haru is jealous.

When Makoto woke in the morning, groggy and exhausted, things didn't make any more sense than they had at one in the morning. But still, he forced himself through his morning routine - get the twins up, eat breakfast, chase Ran down with shoes ("Socks aren't 'good enough'! Now come back here!") and shuffle everyone out the door. Then, of course, was the rendezvous with Haru - Oh god,  _Haru._ A flush rose to Makoto's cheeks, and he stopped in his tracks for a full ten seconds. What was he going to do? Pretend it didn't happen, obviously, but what if he saw Haru and just- what if he was so awkward that Haru figured it out somehow? 

What if Haru was standing right in front of him with his hands shoved in his pockets? Makoto almost bit his tongue. 

His friend shrugged his garbled greeting off easily, answering the unasked question on his lips with "I woke up early, so I figured I'd meet you half way." It was rare, but not unheard of- Haruka woke up early on very few occasions, and they were usually linked to something not so pleasant going on in Makoto's life. It was like he had a sixth sense in regards to the taller boy, which, Makoto supposed, was only fair given how easy Haru was for him to read as well. But as they fell into step, Makoto not making eye contact, he knew Haru was staring at him. 

Haru's nostrils flared, unnoticed, and he made a low noise in the back of his throat. "Makoto."

"Eh? Wh-what, is there something on my shirt?" The blue eyes staring right at him only reminded him of his unfortunate dream, and he felt his cheeks redden. 

"What did you talk to Nagisa about." Something imperceptible in Haru's tone of voice made it impossible not to answer, to reassure him. Makoto wasn't sure why.

"Oh, uh... I just told him if he ever needed my help with whatever's going on, I was there for him. I don't like him being upset. Well, if any of you were upset I would do the same thing, not just Nagisa!" Why did he have to _say_ that? It was like he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't giving Nagisa special treatment. How blatant could he possibly be?

The treacherous thought that he could be in love with Haruka snuck back into his head. The answer seemed to confirm something, both to him and to Haru, though on both accounts Makoto wasn't sure what it was. 

"Right." Haru's gaze slid from him to the road under his feet, and Makoto sighed internally. That scrutinizing gaze had been scary, after all. But the next words that he heard almost made his heart stop. 

"Did you have a good dream?"

 _Oh god he knew._ How did he know? There was no way he could have known. Makoto couldn't keep his cheeks from turning bright red, and he stumbled over his words. "Y-yeah, I guess, it was okay. Um. Did you?"

Haru didn't answer him for a long moment, before saying, "I don't dream very often."

His phone buzzed, interrupting the tense moment, and Makoto fumbled it out of his pocket with silent thanks for the distraction. Nagisa had texted him.

" _Mako-chan,_

 _Thanks, I really appreciate it._ "

It was brief, but it was better than hearing nothing from Nagisa for days. He tapped out a reply, suddenly aware of Haru's eyes fixed back on him. 

"... Haru?" 

"What was it like?"

"Huh?" Oh no, he couldn't be asking this. 

"Your dream, I mean." Yes, he was asking this. Obviously, Makoto's awkward, stilted behavior had clued Haruka in on the nature of his embarrassment, and now he was curious.

"Uh. I don't... really remember. I think -" Stupid, stupid, stupid! "- You might have been in it."

One of Haru's hands snuck out of his pocket, fingers clenching and unclenching nervously as he said, "Oh."

The faintest red tinge on Haru's cheeks and the way he avoided eye contact for the rest of the walk to school was both concerning and thrilling. 

* * *

 

Makoto might have been crazy, but he could have sworn that Rin had sniffed him, seconds before spluttering and turning away.

* * *

 

At lunch, he pulled Rei aside. The younger boy had been almost depressed since Nagisa had first started missing classes. So when Makoto mentioned that he'd visited Nagisa, his eyes widened and before he'd had the chance to think about it, he was blurting out questions. 

"Is he okay? He answers my texts, but never with anything that explains anything. Did he say anything about me? What about hi-" The look on Makoto's face stalled him, and he pushed his glasses up to hide the brief embarrassment. "... Sorry. I got carried away."

It was clear that Rei was taking this the hardest, especially given Nagisa's staunch refusal of him and the fact that he was the only one in the group with an extra-curricular activity. He never really got the chance to try and visit in the first place. Makoto worried about him. Hopefully, whatever was going on would end soon, and the two would make up. He'd always gotten the impression that Nagisa was especially fond of Rei, so his recent behavior towards him was just baffling.

"I just wish he would talk to me so I knew what to do! It's so frustrating that he's treating me this way, even after..." Rei's eyebrows were pulled together, and he looked miserable. "I thought we were friends, but suddenly he's avoiding me more than anyone else."

He thought of Haru for a moment, and then wondered if Rei had a crush on Nagisa. Or maybe the other way around. Makoto immediately chastised himself for that. It was _none_ of his business. 

"He's having a hard time, is all. He wouldn't come out to see me, but I get the feeling that he'll be back on his feet soon. It's Nagisa, after all. He's always been good at bouncing back." 

Makoto hoped it was the case.

Rei's troubled expression didn't fade.

* * *

 

That night, Makoto had been afraid to go to sleep. But exhaustion won out in the end, as it was wont to do. 

When he jerked awake, flushed and panting, the memory of bright blue eyes filled his mind. The only thing he could focus on was the faint smell of strawberries. 


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa gets his head back in the game, Rin grows more mysterious, and Makoto recalls a long-past time.

The next day, to everyone's relief, Nagisa returned. Though he looked exhausted and nervous, he had pulled himself together, and even his much-restrained enthusiasm was appreciated. Makoto didn't ask; if he felt like sharing, that was fine, but it was Nagisa's business in the end.

Still, seeing Rei's face not twisted up in worry was a worthy trade off. And when the two didn't appear at lunch to eat as a group, Makoto was sure they were having a long-needed chat. Things were slowly returning to normal, finally.

Or so it had seemed.

That day, Makoto saw something he wasn't able to comprehend. It was entirely by chance; a strong gust of wind that lifted Rin's shirt up past his ribs. And, something there that didn't belong. Makoto had to have been imagining it, the striped skin on his friend's – yes, Makoto realized, they were friends now - sides that looked like sliced layers. Rin had yanked the fabric back down with annoyance, completely nonchalant until he noticed Makoto.

Then, a quiet panic had entered his eyes. Could those have been scars? Welts, maybe? They didn't have the shiny red look of scar tissue, at least not from that brief glimpse that Makoto had gotten.

Though he wanted to ask, he was afraid of the answer he might get.

* * *

 

He ate dinner with Haru that night, tamping down his embarrassment for the sake of their routine. Haru seemed more stilted than normal as well, so it wasn't just him feeling awkward. Before he could really think about it, Makoto was voicing his thoughts.

“I know Nagisa asked this when he first transferred, but... What _is_ Rin's story? I get that it's not really my business, but I can't help being curious,” he said between bites of mackerel – always with the mackerel. Haru's food obsession was inexplicable, but in moderation Makoto didn't mind it. He'd make Haru mackerel every single day if it meant answers.

The brief silence that followed was expected, but what wasn't was an actual response. “We knew each other as kids. He decided we were rivals. I lost contact with him when I moved here.” Haru's eyes lingered on Makoto's bag, and again he thought he was missing something going unsaid. “I don't know why he came here.”

Makoto bit his lower lip, thinking for a moment. “The first day he started coming to school, I ran into him after classes.”

Haru didn't say a word, but his gaze fixed nervously on Makoto.

“He seemed like... he thought I was doing something to keep you here. Like I was blackmailing you, or... I don't really know. I still don't know what he meant.”

“Makoto.”

“Hm?”

“You know how... the summer before we met, that thing that happened?” Haru's voice was completely unsure, stuttering, hesitant. Makoto put his chopsticks down slowly. The memory rose, unbidden, and he knew that for Haru to bring something like that up, it had to be really important.

“... Yeah. How could I forget something like that?”

The reluctant response he received was “I have some things that I don't really want to think back to either.”

Makoto got the point.

 

* * *

 

That night, his eyes staring unfocused at the ceiling, Makoto remembered. Things he didn't want to remember. It wasn't Haru's fault, though he knew if his friend hadn't reminded him of the... incident... he wouldn't be reliving it in his head, unable to sleep. Maybe it was better that way, though – if he had sunken into a nightmare of that event, it would have been infinitely worse than consciously recalling it.

The sea. The crash of the waves, the swirl of the riptide. Makoto was a strong swimmer, even back then. Maybe it had made him overly confident. Had made him forget to properly respect the danger of the open ocean.

But, pulled under, in a cloud of his own escaping air, he had thought the ocean was beautiful as well as deadly. The way the distorted sunlight shone down, the fish that flitted to and fro... Yes, if he was going to die like this - surrounded by light, feeling weightless and bright - maybe it would be okay. That thought filled his mind for the briefest moment, before the burn of his lungs brought him back to reality and the instinct to live kicked in.

Then, Makoto could only think it was horrifying.

Now, safe in his own bed, he could remember the feeling of the wet sand under his nails, clinging to his skin. The sting of salt water vomited from his lungs. His frantic parents, their fear picked up by the twins who were too young to understand what had almost happened. Everyone's tears as the family bundled together around the son they'd nearly lost.

And a strip of fur, clenched in his right hand.


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei and Nagisa kiss and make up, while Rin spills a quarter of the beans.

Rei was different the next day; it was subtle, yet somehow obvious. He held himself differently, full of some kind of strange determination. Nagisa's hand, held tightly in his own, might have had something to do with it.

So when at lunch, pushing his glasses up in that arrogant yet endearing way, Rei announced that they had begun dating, it surprised absolutely no one – except maybe Rin, who snorted quietly and muttered something like “Don't get yourself killed.” But for someone like him, maybe that was as close to giving his blessing as possible. There was respect in his eyes for what Makoto thought might be the first time.

Maybe Rin and Rei _could_ get along.

There was something that bothered him though. Briefly, for just a second, Rei had looked to Makoto, and something in his expression was regretful and reluctant. Like he knew something Makoto didn't. Shoving away the thought that maybe, he was the only one out of the loop, Makoto silently pledged to grin and bear it.

They were his friends. So if they were keeping something a secret, it had to be for a good reason, right?

He excused himself to use the restroom, so that no one could see the angry tears that he couldn't prevent.

 

* * *

 

The last person he expected was the one who noticed. So when he heard Rin's voice, it was a shock that made him jump a little. But when his eyes met Rin's, it was obvious that the other boy was feeling almost as terrible as him.

“... Hey.” Rin had some tact after all, and he didn't mention the fact that Makoto's eyes were red rimmed and his nose was running. Without letting the taller boy respond, he plunged right into whatever had been eating away at his mind. “Look, I... You saw, didn't you?”

Makoto was quiet for a moment, before nodding. Rin's barked laughter sounded hollow, and he raised a hand to his forehead. “After all this time, and I'm the one who ends up giving it away.”

“Rin, I don't care what kind of scars or whatever those were you have.” Makoto said bluntly, rubbing at his nose. “I just-”

“ _Scars_? You're the densest human being I have ever met.” Before he knew what was happening, Rin was unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it up to reveal the strange, serrated skin there. It looked almost like his flesh had been flayed, flaps of skin that layered over each other. But as Makoto stared, they fluttered just a little.

He thought back to the goldfish he had owned as a child.

“... Gills.”

Rin snorted.

“You have gills.” Makoto said flatly. He couldn't even comprehend what he was staring at. Rin's expression clearly said “congratulations, dumbass.”

“Yeah, I have gills,” he said almost defensively, nostrils flaring a little. Makoto covered his mouth with one hand, confused thoughts whirling through his head. Was that a mutation? He'd heard that human beings had gill-like structures while still developing in the womb. Did they just not go away for Rin? Or...

“Are... you a fish person?” The minute the words left his mouth, he knew he sounded like an idiot. Rin's surprised laughter only cemented that, and the other boy leaned against the wall, stricken by hysterics. This went on for at least a full minute. He waved off Makoto's flustered apology, still snorting in laughter.

“You know, that's a really unromantic way of putting it. But it's basically right so what the hell. I guess you're not as ignorant as I thought. Fuckin' fish person. God.” Rin straightened, re-buttoning and tucking his shirt in. “I don't need to tell you that's confidential information though, do I?”

Makoto shook his head, still completely shocked. “No, I-” A thought struck him. “... Everyone else already knew, didn't they. That's why Haru wouldn't tell me anything about his childhood. He was... he's not one too, is he? A... No, I'd have seen...” Makoto fluttered a hand around his ribs, thoughts racing. “This is way too much to take in at once, I think.”

Rin shrugged a little, his expression quietly agreeing. “Yeah, it's... Well it's a right shocker, I guess. Imagine my surprise when I realized other kids couldn't breathe underwater. Amateurs. Haru's still the only one who can keep up with me, I bet."

After a few seconds of silence, Rin continued, a little unsure, “You're still... yeah, of course you would be. Look, when we first met, I thought. That you already knew, and I acted like. A dick. I was a dick to you because I didn't grasp the situation, and it was. Ugh. Wrong of me.”

Out of all the shocks of the day, this one might have been the last straw. Makoto covered his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up from his throat. Rin's cheeks flushed, and he leaned forward with a scowl.

“Don't fucking laugh when I'm trying to sincerely apologize here!” It only served to make Makoto laugh harder, falling back against the wall and covering his face with both hands as he tried to stammer out an apology. But every time he looked over and saw Rin's irritated, embarrassed expression, the laughter started up again, until he was actually crying.

“I'm leaving!” Rin practically yelled, mortified now. The only thing Makoto could do was shake his head frantically, wiping at his face in an attempt to calm himself down.

“I'm so- hfff – I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just.” An ugly snort worked its way from Makoto. “It's just the icing on the cake, you know?”

Rin stared at him for a moment. “Icing... what?”

The idea of having a... fish person, as a friend didn't bother Makoto at all. After all, Rin was Rin, and it just gave him a little more insight into why he acted the way he did. Rin was Rin, and Nagisa was Nagisa. Rei was Rei, and...

“Then... what about Haru?”

The expression dropped from Rin's face. “What about him.”

“... you're not going to tell me either, then.” Sighing a little, Makoto stared up at the ceiling. Any kind of good mood had started to vanish. “He won't tell me, you won't tell me, Nagisa even. Is it that important that I don't know?”

Something like sympathy crossed over Rin, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look... if it was just about me, I'd just tell you. But it's not my place to tell you someone else's life story. Even if I think that someone is being a complete fucking twat and needs to get his act together.”

Bumping Makoto's shoulder with his fist lightly, Rin added, “You mean a lot to him. I've been here for three weeks and it's already obvious. He was always shitty at opening up to people, but I guess I'm a little jealous.”

“Jealous of what?” Makoto mumbled, unable to keep a hint of bitterness out of his voice. “He's just kept something hidden from me for so long, while everyone else knows.”

“It means he cares about what you think of him, you idiot. I'm sure you wouldn't give a damn either way, seeing as you didn't run screaming when you saw my gills. But he's not good with his emotions. Don't break his heart, man. Or I'll have to do something about it.”

Rin's teeth flashed, looking whiter than ever in the florescent lights. And then, having said all he was going to, he left- leaving Makoto to wonder, staring at his own shocked face in the restroom mirror, what on Earth Rin meant by that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'd like to formally thank everybody who's been sticking with this fic for 10 whole chapters. (11 counting the bonus one.) So, thank you for reading! This is my first fic on AO3 and I'm stoked as hell about the positive reception. Seeing all those kudos and comments brightens my day - usually more than once, which is only fitting because sometimes I post more than one chapter daily.
> 
> We're finally getting into the meat of things, and I feel like I've really hit my stride. I'd love to hear more feedback if you guys have the time to comment!
> 
> Well, that's all I've got to say. Happy reading, guys!


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei is adamant in his perceived (cryptic) responsibilities, and Makoto has an important, if brief, chat with Haru.

“Rei...” Nagisa whispered, his chin resting comfortably in the faint dip of Rei's navel. “You're sure this is okay? You're not obligated t-”

“Just do it,” Rei mumbled back, his red cheeks offset by the stubborn set of his jaw. “Even if we weren't... together, I would do this for you. I'm not reluctant at all to help you. After all, you told me that right now, c-consumption is very important for your health, and I'll do my best to serve as an efficient provider. I don't want you to worry about it.”

Nagisa's smile paired with the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes, and he practically leapt up to embrace the other boy. “Rei-chaaaan! You're so corny. But that's why I love you!”

Rei's embarrassed response was enough.

“I might have to eat during the day, though,” Nagisa added, tapping a finger against one cheek. It should have been obvious that he'd only said it to get a rise out of Rei, but he got the indignant splutter he wanted.

“Don't tease me about it too!”

“Ahhh, sorry, sorry. That embarrassed face of yours is just too cute.” The pause that followed, pink eyes meeting violet, was surprisingly heated.

“Rei-chan... are you ready?”

“You won't make fun of...”

“Of course not. Besides, it's Rei-chan... so I don't think you could do anything wrong here.”

“... Then... I'm ready.”

 

* * *

 

Makoto rolled over in his bed, sighing despondently. Rin hadn't exactly been cryptic with his implications, after all. But how on Earth did he broach that subject with Haru? What would his reaction be to that sort of question? And more importantly, what answer was Makoto hoping for?

He'd typed out a message, thoughtlessly, and sent it. Haru never checked his phone, so it could be weeks before he saw the simple text. It was stupid in hindsight, but a text couldn't be unsent.

He ran through scenario after scenario in his mind – Haru denying Rin's suggestion truthfully was right out. It made Makoto's stomach feel empty, the mere thought of a disgusted “No.”

Haru giving no answer.

Haru denying it with red cheeks, caught in a lie. “N-no, don't be ridiculous.” That was too out of character; he could barely imagine it.

Haru wholeheartedly admitting to it without any embarrassment. “Yes, I do.”

Haru, with his fingers twisting around his bag, his cheeks reddening. Haru opening his mouth to answer, but unable to speak. Haru, anxiously trying to figure out the right words to say. Haru, who could never navigate a social situation due to lack of empathy, lost for the first time out of emotional investment.

Haru biting his lip, and finally managing to whisper, “I like you.”

Haru, wearing an apron over his jammers and cooking two portions of mackerel each morning. Haru curled up next to him, fast asleep. Haru leaning comfortably against him, reading a book or listening to music. Haru's arms wrapped around his middle in a warm embrace. Haru's lips pressed against his cheek, his hands, his own lips. Haru's fingers intertwined with his, walking together to the train station. Haru's quiet laughter. Haru's hair, wet from the bath, sticking to his forehead and cheeks.

Haru's eyes meeting his in the faint light of evening, laying side by side, and the soft, content smile on his lips as Makoto whispered, “I love you.”

It wasn't a sudden realization. There was no eureka moment where the fact that he was in love with his best friend slammed into him. It was more a quiet murmur in his mind - “Ah, right... I do love him. I always have. I just never really thought about it before.”

He wouldn't confess. That was beyond a person like Makoto. After all, he was happy just getting to be by Haru's side.

That was when his phone buzzed, a light beginning to flash. There was no way it could be Haru, Makoto told himself, almost scolding his own thoughts for hoping. It must have been Nagisa or Rei, or...

He opened his phone, first reading the message he'd sent only ten minutes before, and then the reply.

“ _Do you like me?_ ”

What a stupid question to send to someone like Haru, who likely wouldn't understand the undertones to the question. But...

“ _Yes._ ”

Makoto bit his lip.

“ _I don't mean the way friends like each other. I mean like lovers._ ”

He closed his phone, regret swelling in his chest. If Haru already had his phone within reach, it wouldn't take long before...

Makoto didn't realize he was holding his breath until the phone buzzed beneath his fingertips. Then, he was all too aware of it. It was eleven o'clock at night, way too late to be getting this worked up or having such an important discussion- not to mention how unfitting it was to do this over text message.

He read the message three times before leaping out of bed, not bothering to put on a jacket or even shoes. Left behind on the sheets as Makoto ran out of his house, not thinking, functioning purely on a sudden exuberant adrenaline rush, was the cell phone. The dimming screen still displayed that simple reply:

“ _I know._ ”

* * *

Haru stared at his phone screen nervously, fingers twitching as he considered typing out another message.

Makoto hadn't replied to him, and that never happened. Maybe he was upset, or disgusted. Maybe Haru had just ruined what he'd spent years trying to maintain ever since seeing Makoto for the first time. Ever since his everyday life had been ripped away and lost in green eyes, since his breath had been offered up as tribute to the continuation of that smile.

Just as he made up his mind to type out " _Forget it_ ", the doorbell rang.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relationship blossoms while another heats up, and Rin spends some quality time with his sister.

To his utter surprise, when Haru opened the door, Makoto was leaning against the frame for support, cheeks flushed and chest heaving. He'd clearly run the whole way over, as indicated by his bare feet and ruffled pajamas. But more than anything was the shining, excited look in his eyes. The suddenness of it all was a shock, and Haru felt the telltale warmth of a blush coming to his face.

Makoto was happy. About him. He had to say something, had to explain – _tell him,_ his mind screamed, _tell him what you are, he won't run away_ , but the thoughts were scattered by Makoto's arms wrapping around him, a forehead resting on his shoulder, and the quiet words that shook with a tearful joy, “I like you too.”

Something inside Haru's chest squeezed painfully. He knew the rules, after all. _Seven years._ It was too long to spend without Makoto. As long as he didn't know, as long as he held on without any awareness...

_If he keeps it, I can..._

“Stay,” Haru mumbled, his cheeks red, the twisted feeling in his chest remaining. He wanted Makoto to stay, he wanted to stay here at Iwatobi, even though the sea still sang out to him to come home. He wouldn't.

Makoto nodded faintly, not pulling away, and the two lapsed into a comfortable silence in each others' arms.

Neither boy slept that night, pulses pounding too fast to calm down, the gentle excitement of hands clasped together. Any thought of more than holding the other was too much for that moment in time; Haru's arms wrapped awkwardly around Makoto's middle, the thin fabric of their clothing not enough to mask the steady beating of their hearts.

When their lips met for the second time in their lives, their first kiss, Haru realized that Makoto was his home.

 

* * *

 

Nagisa licked his fingers, giving Rei a slightly embarrassed but still happy look. “Are you okay?”

Rei's strangled response was enough to make him laugh, leaning up to kiss the other boy. The scandalized look he received for it only served to make his grin wider. But when Rei was about to protest, Nagisa leaned back with a sigh, glancing down at his pants.

“Nagi-”

“Sorry, sorry! This didn't happen any of the other times I fed. But that was...” Nagisa waved a hand, cheeks reddening. “Ah, I guess I shouldn't talk about it.”

Sitting up shakily, Rei frowned. “And Makoto-senpai still doesn't know? H-hey, Nagisa, wait! Don't just take your clothes off!”

“I have to change or else I'm going to get all sticky and gross.” Nagisa stuck his tongue out as he kicked his pants off, the slender tail that had been wrapped around his waist uncoiling and waving. The spade-shaped tip – Rei realized suddenly that no, it was a heart shape after all – lashed back and forth, almost like an excited dog.

“No, but I don't think I'm ever going to tell him,” he added, wiping himself off with his own underwear before rummaging in his bag for a new pair. “I'm glad I thought to bring a change of clothes besides my pajamas; my parents warned me this could happen, but since it didn't with Mako-chan, I wasn't expecting it!”

“Your parents.” Rei said flatly, automatically shifting to make room when Nagisa climbed back on top of him with an expression that was intent on cuddling. “Do you have t-”

“That's what humans do after though, isn't it? That's like, the best part of it. I, um. Might need to eat again tomorrow, but I should stabilize soon, I think...? Puberty is so weird. This is all really new and spooky to me too.”

“Right,” the taller boy murmured, before returning to his previous thought. “And your parents, they're both...?”

“Full blooded, yeah. It doesn't happen very often compared to half-breeds, but my sisters and I don't have a drop of human in them. Er. Genetically, I mean. I have a little bit more than a drop of human in me right now. I guess I have a lot of human in me now!” Nagisa's grin was positively evil, and Rei's cheeks heated again. “Cute! Cute, it's so cute! I can't get over how cute embarrassed Rei-chan is! Is this love? It must be love! I want to see Rei-chan's flustered face all day long!”

“ _Nagisa_!”

* * *

 

Rin bit his thumb, staring up at the night sky through the distortion of the water. The gentle sensation of the waves rolling over him was soothing, and he turned his head to where Kou was curled up. They did this on clear nights – walked down to the sea to relax. The thought that Kou had done this alone while he was gone plagued his mind; his innocent little sister, all by herself in a string bikini in the middle of the night. She couldn't wear a one-piece; it would cover her gills and prevent her from reaping the benefits. But then, she probably didn't need to soak as often as he did. She'd always had less overtly inhuman features, after all.

“Big brother, when are you going to go back? Dad must be lonely,” she mumbled, drawing squiggles in the wet sand as she kicked her feet. Rin frowned, teeth gnawing at his lower lip until the metallic taste of blood burst onto his tongue.

“I don't know,” he said finally. “I said I wouldn't come back without Haru. I made a promise to myself, after all. I just didn't expect this.”

“You were really dumb about it too,” Kou said stubbornly, aiming an annoyed look at him. “As soon as I told you I'd seen Haru you just made that decision and came over here without a second thought. If you'd let me do some research on the situation we could have avoided having your pride get in the way like this. Stupid.”

“Hey!” Rin slapped the water, sending a wave splashing over his pouting sister. “Don't disrespect your elders, especially your big brother! Besides, now that I know there's that guy following you around, maybe I have to stay to protect you. Human boys can be really forceful.”

“Yeah, like Dad wasn't a forceful person when he fell in love with Mom. He's not a bad person- he's even the captain of his school's swim team! And besides, his friend is really nice too, and they both have such nice trice-”

“ _Don't_ say it.”

“Fine, fine!” The loud splash as Kou dove to fully submerge herself made Rin sigh. He sat up, wet sand clinging to his back and neck, and shook his head to send droplets of water everywhere. The pair of red eyes that surfaced were mischievous, and he scowled and yelped when a jet of water hit him in the face.

Crawling from the surf, she snatched up her towel and shook the sand from her feet. “I'm going to head back now, are you coming?”

Rin stretched, thinking it over a little. “No, go ahead. I'm gonna stay here a little while longer.”

“Okay, but don't lay around so long that you get all wrinkly. It's gross!”

“You know that doesn't happen!” Rin barked, but she was already leaving, waving behind her at him with a grin.

She might be almost an adult, but Kou still had that annoying childish side to her. But remembering how her laughter bubbled up – literally – from the water, Rin hoped she kept that part of herself forever.


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei is the sharpest tool in the shed, and Makoto realizes he's married.

With Nagisa's slight weight resting on him, Rei couldn't exactly sit up. But the other boy was less awake as he was, and headbutted him gently in an attempt to make his bed stop squirming. “Rei-chan, go back to sleep,” he mumbled, completely unaware of the blunt tips of his horns until one of them knocked against Rei's chin. “Ow!” Rubbing at the base of the inch-long appendages that were almost completely covered by his hair, he sat up groggily. “Oh no, they're growing aren't they? I'm gonna have to find a file.”

Rei frowned, reaching forward to brush Nagisa's blond locks out of the way. “They _were_ shorter yesterday. How fast could they possibly grow?”

“I thought it was like fingernails, but I guess not,” was the mumbled response, but Rei's sudden silence made him look up. “Rei-chan?”

Covering his mouth with one hand, Rei ran his thumb down the tiny bumps. His face was fixed in a look of concentration, like he was memorizing the look and feel of the horns. Nagisa leaned into his touch like a cat being pet, eyes closing as a sleepy smile crossed his face. Finally, with a slightly embarrassed expression, Rei admitted, “I like them. I wish you didn't have to cut them.”

Nagisa's eyes slid back open and he pursed his lips. “Well, if I didn't, they'd poke out from my hair and everyone would be able to see them. I'd rather keep them like this, something that only Rei-chan gets to see.”

Huffing in a way that made clear he was not so secretly pleased by this, Rei asked, “Even Haruka-senpai and Rin-senpai? They already know, after all.”

“Mmm, well, I still want it to be a special thing in the end.” Resting his chin against Rei's collarbone, Nagisa sighed with the faintest of frowns. “And now you're going to tell me that I should tell Mako-chan, and I'm gonna be stubborn about it and say what I always say.”

Clearly used to this discussion, Rei rolled his eyes and quoted, “'I won't say anything about it until Mako-chan and Haru-chan get together.' Yes, yes, I know. But I still don't think this is fair to Makoto-senpai; at least before he wasn't he only one not knowing anything.”

“And now's the point where you ask me what Haru-chan is and I say it's a secret.”

Rei's proud silence was telling.

“No way! Rei-chan, you figured it out?”

“I do have access to the internet, after all. Once I became aware of the existence of mythological creatures, it was simple to narrow down which ones could possibly fit.” Rei didn't mention that he'd spent three days researching, as it just didn't make for a good story in the end. Besides, he'd rather have Nagisa be impressed. And he was.

“As to be expected of Rei-chan! I'll never underestimate you!”

 

* * *

 

It was Saturday, so by the time Makoto stirred, the early afternoon light was already flooding in through the windows. Haru didn't move; after all, he'd always been a heavy sleeper. So for a few moments, he just watched the other boy breathe. But, as if feeling Makoto's gaze, it wasn't long before Haru's eyelashes began to twitch, and, as if protesting the idea of waking up, he curled in on himself a little with a frown. That was when his head bumped against Makoto's chest, and his eyes shot open.

“... ah.” There was a moment where it looked like he might be embarrassed to wake up with Makoto in his bed, but Haru had never been that kind of person. So instead, he just wobbled to his feet and padded off to the kitchen, presumably to make breakfast. A few moments later, that was confirmed by the sound of sizzling.

“Haru, don't tell me you're making mackerel again?” Makoto asked despondently, getting up as well to follow. As if the answer wasn't obvious; the smell of cooking fish quickly permeated the kitchen as he shuffled in. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Makoto leaned against the counter. “Haru...”

“Mm?” Haru handed him a plate nonchalantly, plopping a portion of the fish down on it. Maybe that was how Haru expressed his love, Makoto thought reluctantly; through sharing his precious food. Like a bird bringing food to a potential mate. Truly, he should feel blessed. Honored, even, by this gracious display of affection. Clearly, this was Haru's manner of courtship – he remembered plenty of instances of Haru smacking peoples' (Nagisa's) hands with his chopsticks to prevent the other boy from touching his food. But he'd always been willing to share with Makoto, after all...

“... never mind,” Makoto sighed. As sick of mackerel as he was, the knowledge that Haru - in his own socially awkward manner - made exceptions for his sake lit a warm, comforting fire in his chest. Without a word of complaint, he began to eat his breakfast, smiling gently when Haru sat next to him, legs crossed even though he was using a chair. The things Makoto would put up with for Haru could fill a book as well, after all. Maybe he should have realized what that meant earlier.

Honestly, though, he was going to get mercury poisoning from eating so much of that fish.

They didn't speak; nothing really needed to be said. Makoto realized that the affectionate jabs at them for acting like a married couple might have had more weight than he'd thought. The silence between them wasn't oppressive or tense – it was just Makoto and Haru, eating breakfast together.

 

That was when Nagisa burst into the house.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa spills some more beans, and Makoto learns the true meaning of embarrassment. 
> 
> (Chapter's a little later than usual; I blame the government.)

To say the sudden intrusion was a surprise would be a disgusting understatement. Yelping, Makoto tried to jump to his feet and succeeded only in banging his knee on the table. But that only helped Nagisa locate the pair, finding Makoto half-crouching on the floor holding his leg and Haru half-rising from his seat to peer down at the other boy.

“Mako-chan! There you are!” It seemed to finally dawn on him that he might have interrupted a moment between the pair. “... I should have knocked.”

“Yeah,” Haru said, before extending a hand to help Makoto up. “That might have been a good idea.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Nagisa slapped his hands together in front of his face, eyes screwed shut. “When I got the text message I got worried is all. But you're both over here so I guess no harm done?” Nagisa pulled his cell phone out as if it offered an explanation. Makoto shook his head wordlessly, before sighing.

“What text message?” He asked, taking the bait.

“Mama Makoto sends out an S.O.S.! Her eldest son, vanishing mysteriously in the night! Left behind, his cell phone, giving her no means of contact! To be expected, Haru-chan doesn't answer his phone, leaving her with no answers!! Aghast, the worried mother turns to the only person she can! … Something like that.”

Makoto paused for a long moment. “... Oh.” He patted his pockets as if to confirm this. “Could you tell her that...”

Nagisa was already typing a message out, but the grin on his face could be more wholesome. “What should I say? 'Mako-chan is with Haru-chan, who has finally made an honest woman out of him'? Or maybe...”

Haru's scowl made him pause.

“What? No way! You didn't do it yet?”

“ _Nagisa._ ” Makoto hissed, a rare anger on his face as he yanked the phone out of Nagisa's hands. “I'll do it myself, don't _say_ that kind of thing!”

The message he read was “ _Mama Whale: I found Mako-chan, he and Haru-chan are fine! -Nagisa <3_”

Covering his eyes with one hand, Makoto handed the device back. “Don't joke about that.”

“I couldn't help it! It was getting awkward in here. Um, say.” Nagisa scuffed a foot against the floor, watching Haru lean sleepily against Makoto the second he sat down again. “Haru-chan, you didn't...”

Haru stiffened, giving the other boy a scathing look. Nagisa held his hands up in surrender. “Okay. I get it. But. I made Rei-chan a promise that as soon as you two kissed and made up, I would...”

Makoto leaned forward, trying to hide his sudden interest. Haru reached over and pulled Makoto's half-eaten breakfast to sit before him, listening but not nearly as invested. “You would what? Look, I, uh. I didn't get the chance to say anything, but I know about Rin, so...”

The clatter of chopsticks made both Makoto and Nagisa turn their heads. Haru was staring at his hands, his eyes wide with a sudden panic.

“Haru...” There was something unspoken there; not quite a plea, but a clear request for information. “Is it that important that you don't tell me?”

Haru swallowed audibly, before nodding. Nagisa frowned, sudden realization dawning on his face. “Oh... If it's returned, you have to go... So when I... Oh no, I almost ruined everything by trying to give it back! No wonder you made me return it... Haru-chan, I'm sorry!”

“You didn't know,” Haru mumbled, not making any move to pick up his fallen chopsticks or continue eating. “It doesn't matter. Say what you were going to.”

“... Okay. Mako-chan, I'm sorry! We kept you out of the loop for a really long time! Rei-chan too, but I couldn't keep it a secret when I had to start feeding, and he was the only one I wanted to- and then with Rin-chan it's just... Where do I start? I... When Rin-chan told you, were you scared?” Nagisa's forlorn expression was both nervous and fearful, and Makoto's eyes widened a little.

“ _Scared_? No, of course not! I don't care if Rin's a fish person or a fairy or anything, he's my friend. Besides, if he was going to hurt me he would have done it on the day he transferred.” Makoto paused for a moment before adding, “And... that goes for all of you. I don't care what you are, it won't affect how I feel.”

Haru's fingers twitched a little, but he said nothing. Nagisa took a deep breath, visibly preparing himself.

“Okay. I've never told anyone but Rei-chan about this and with him it came out kind of garbled and awkward. So I don't really know how to do this. I'm... well I guess you know I'm not a human, right? Right. I, um.”

Scoffing a little, Haruka gave him a look that clearly said “Get on with it.”

“Haru-chan, don't be mean! Okay. Okay! Maybe it would be easier to show you.”

Makoto wailed in protest when Nagisa began to unbutton his jeans, but Haru's hand on his arm made him stop. The shorter boy stuck his tongue out as he dug around the back of his pants, as if making fun of Makoto for assuming the worst. A whiplike cord was wrapped around his waist, and as it uncurled it became obvious that it was a tail, topped with a spade-shaped tip. Haru made a small noise.

“I, um. I have horns, but I'd rather not show them to you because they're kind of short and I have to keep my hair really specifically styled to hide them.”

Makoto's eyebrows drew together and he adopted a ponderous look. “I don't know what you are. If Rin is a... merman...? Are you an oni? I didn't realize they had tails...”

Nagisa snorted a little, fixing his pants but leaving the tail to wag lightly. “That's funny! I didn't realize I looked Japanese enough for that! I'm not, no. Haru-chan, are oni real? I've never met one. But then, until Rin-chan and Gou-chan I'd never seen an actual half-breed!”

That made Haru pause. “... I thought you were a half-breed.”

Raising his eyebrows, Nagisa shook his head. Makoto made a frustrated whining noise, still in the dark. “Nope! I think it would have been easier if I was only half-incubus, because then I wouldn't have had such a hard time.”

Makoto thought for a moment, then made a strangled sound, his cheeks flushing. “... Oh.”

The apologetic look Nagisa shot him didn't help. “That's why I was absent for so long. When we come of age, we tend to develop a kind of... ravenous appetite, so going to a school full of humans while I was starving was a really bad idea!”

“So, then, you sent Rei away because-”

“Ahh, yeah. When Rei-chan stopped by, I had to get my big sisters to talk to him instead or else I would have done something really, really bad. Haru-chan didn't want you coming by either, and since he's not hum- … oh.”

Makoto waved a hand. “I know he's not, I don't care. He's not human, so he didn't trigger your... Do I want to know what you eat?”

Nagisa shrugged, finally dragging a chair out and taking it. “It's _mostly_ sexual energy. And... fluids. Male or female. I used to think it was really awkward and gross, but... I guess I grew up a little. My parents are a little old-fashioned, and they always taught me that feeding was really intimate, so it was really scary and daunting... I guess I didn't realize how silly I was being until you showed me how worried everyone was.”

“Is Rei your sole provider, then?” Haru's voice was a little curious, but also somewhat chastising. “You can't feed off of just him, you'll drain him. You're not feeding on...” He trailed off, looking at Makoto, who frowned.

“I don't want to feed on anyone else! Plus, they don't tell you, but it's different when there's a strong emotional bond involved. When I'm with Rei-chan, it's eating a really rich stew for every meal, where people like Mako-chan, without the emotional bond being manipulated like I had to do, are more like plain old bread.”

“None tak- _wait_.”

“Oh no! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Haru-chan too! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you, I thought it- I'm sorry! When you said you'd help me without any questions, I was just so hungry that I couldn't think straight!” Nagisa's cheeks reddened, and he closed his eyes tightly. “Haru-chan, forgive me! I used your image without your permission and everything!”

“ _That's why I was having those dreams!_ ” Mortified, Makoto covered his face with both hands. “Nagisa, I thought I was going insane! Haru, did you-” Realization was like a wet fish to the face. That's why Haru had been so annoyed; he could _smell_ it on him or something bizarre like that. And he'd been... jealous, maybe? That was what Haru acted like when he was jealous? But the thought of Nagisa creeping into his room, and... Makoto made a choking noise, beyond any embarrassment he'd ever felt in his life.

“Mm.” Haru's monosyllabic response told him far less than the irritated jut of the other boy's jaw. “I thought you'd just gone as yourself.”

“So you asked me, oh my god, I basically told you I'd had a -”

“I'm sorry! Haru-chan, though, he's _really_ -” Nagisa held his hands several inches apart; there was no subtlety whatsoever about it. This was enough to elicit a rare response from Haru, who made a surprised, flustered noise and looked away. If Makoto's face got any redder he'd have an aneurysm.

“ _Nagisa!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone doesn't know:
> 
> Oni are traditional Japanese spirits; the word is, if translated, usually translated to ogre, and they're somewhat similar; oni are superficially similar to Western ogres, but they have horns, huge claws, and a lot of teeth that are too big for their mouths. They're usually depicted as red-skinned and wearing tiger-skin loincloths with not much else.


	16. Bonus 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short bonus!
> 
> Nitori goes on an adventure, and Rin is in for a surprise.

The second time Mikoshiba came to Nitori with a plot, the other boy immediately began to walk away. Friends or not, he was washing his hands of the ridiculous schemes he was coming up with in order to run into this girl “entirely by accident.”

So, leaving his upperclassman to his convoluted plan, Nitori decided that today would be a good day to visit the seashore. It was nice out after all, even if it was a bit cold, and it had been a while since he'd had a day off, much less a day to himself.

The bus was a little late, but he'd been too busy staring into space to notice. This only continued when it was time to get off, and Nitori almost missed his stop. He was so used to having someone else around that was paying much more attention.

The shore was abandoned, as to be expected at this time of the year. It wasn't quite warm enough to swim yet; in a few months, even this more remote area would have visitors. Usually couples trying to steal away from the main beaches.

It was a surprise to him when he saw a flash of red hair. For a moment, he wondered if it was the girl – Mikoshiba had done some digging and figured out her name, what was it? Nitori couldn't remember. But it wasn't her; no, it was the enigmatic and rude older brother. Before Nitori could make up his mind whether or not to make his presence known, there was a splash. The older boy had just plunged into the waves.

That was strange in itself. Standing there awkwardly, it got stranger the longer he thought about it. Who dove into the ocean while fully clothed? And who dove into the ocean when the water was so cold?

And, shouldn't he have surfaced by now?

 

* * *

 

The water was cool against his skin, just what he needed after all the stress of socializing. If Haru was there by choice, there wasn't much he could do, was there? This was getting worse and worse. Rin was faintly aware that he was ruining his clothes by sulking like this, but, arms crossed over his chest he remained on the sea bed. A stream of bubbles escaped him and floated to the surface as he sighed and closed his eyes.

And then...

 

* * *

 

Rin would remember this day for the rest of his life. After all, it wasn't often that a 14 year old – later he would find out that Nitori was only half a year younger than him and therefore far older than 14 – dove into the ocean with terrified determination and yanked him from the surf, convinced he was attempting to commit suicide. His would-be rescuer was crying by the time he reached Rin in the first place, and then he'd screamed a little when the other boy had been completely fine, and quite annoyed.

It didn't help that the kid saw his gills, either. So now what was he supposed to do? There had been a long, confused moment where he – Nitori, he said his name was – asked Rin with a childish sense of wonder if he had a tail.

This was going to be a long day.


	17. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mama Whale is wiser than she seems. And, introducing the new friend: NITORI! (What do you mean, he's already shown up in two bonus chapters?)
> 
> I've been slacking! Jeez. No chapter yesterday? Well, midterms are coming up, so I can't afford to dedicate quite as much time as I'd like to this fic. Updates should still come semi-regularly though, 3-5 times a week. After all, there's not a whole lot left of this story to tell. So I'll do my best to make the remaining chapters the best chapters they can be!
> 
> (Also, if you're interested in keeping track of where I'm at writing-wise, I do in fact have a tumblr where I sometimes post status updates on the fic. You can find me at http://olivemeister.tumblr.com/ !)

Explaining to his mother why he'd run out of the house in the middle of the night had strained Makoto's ability to lie. He'd never been good at not being honest, especially not to his parents. Maybe that was a virtue rather than a flaw.

Still, when he'd stammered out that he'd gotten a text from Haru that had worried him, he wondered how believable it had sounded. The knowing look he got in return didn't help things at all. But he wasn't questioned, as clearly his embarrassment brought mercy.

He wouldn't ever find out that while trying to figure out where he'd gone, his mother had read his text messages.

 

* * *

 

Haru acted much the same as he always had, and Makoto didn't mind it at all. After all, that was just how Haru was, and the thought of him changing because of Makoto seemed bizarre and unreasonable. But there were subtle differences; the distance between them, which had never been very large, grew smaller still. Little things, really; it wasn't abnormal for Haru to stare at him during class, but it seemed to happen with a little more frequency now. Rin kicked the back of his chair when he kept it up for too long, though.

But the most noticeable change was in the air between them, something that the rest of the class was picking up on increasingly as the day went on. “Nanase-kun seems like he's in a good mood, doesn't he?” was a sentiment Makoto overheard more than once. And just as often, he was asked himself if something good happened. There wasn't really a clean-cut way to answer that one, so he did what he always did – smile and nod.

Rei had elbowed Nagisa in the ribs until the other boy admitted he'd already told Makoto and Haru, at which point he had the decency to turn red and apologize. Rin abandoned the rooftop after witnessing Haruka grabbing Makoto's hand and redirecting his chopsticks directly into his mouth, but returned after several minutes. After all, he wasn't _that_ annoyed by it.

That day, they met Nitori Aiichirou, amazing everyone by proving that Rin actually had friends besides them. The pair had a strange kind of tension between them, before Rin, covering his face with one hand, admitted that Nitori was in the know about him. “I was careless,” he admitted with a scowl, but Nitori himself was adamant that it was his fault for interfering. Neither mentioned how exactly they'd met.

Though he went to another school, Makoto was quick to note that Nitori seemed quite eager to impress Rin, and made an effort to get along with them that day. He and Nagisa had a certain spark to them, certainly, and soon the two were casually chattering about Samezuka academy. Rin himself was paying more attention than Makoto had expected; finding out Nitori was on a swim team seemed to catch him off guard as well.

To his credit, Nitori seemed like a genuinely nice person and things went well up until the point where one of his own classmates appeared. Then, Rin's slightly unsure but slowly relaxing demeanor rapidly shifted to irritation for some incident unknown to them. Or at least, it remained unknown up until Kou came flying around the corner, her bag clutched in both hands and one of her shoes not completely on. She'd obviously run out of her classroom, out of breath and looking a little flustered.

“Sorry! Sorry, did I keep you waiting lo- Big brother!?”

Well, that explained things.

It was probably best to defuse the situation as best he could, but Haru's hand yanking at his sleeve and the irritated expression on his face made Makoto pause. Ah, that was right. His parents were having a rare date night, and Makoto was given the task of babysitting. In all the commotion, he'd completely forgot somehow.

“We're leaving,” Haruka announced, not offering any real explanation why before starting off alone. Smiling apologetically, Makoto explained things fairly quickly, glancing back and forth between the group and Haru's retreating back. “Sorry, I have to take care of Ran and Ren tonight, so I have to go pick them up from school. See you guys tomorrow!”

 

* * *

 

“You could have waited for me!” Makoto panted, having run to catch up with his errant... friend? Boyfriend. Lover? No. Boyfriend, he supposed. Haru didn't say anything, but the way his eyes flickered to the ground was apology enough, and he slipped his hand in Makoto's. Maybe he was too lenient with Haru.

Maybe it was bad to pause on the way and allow Haru to back him up against a tree. It was probably bad, but his lips were soft and sweet, so he couldn't be upset. The question in his mind, though, sprung from his mouth before he could stop it.

“Haru... how long did you...”

He pulled away, before resting his forehead on Makoto's collarbone. “I don't know. Since the moment I saw you.”

“A-ah, well, that's.” Cheeks flushed, he brushed Haru's hair back, leaning against the scratchy tree bark. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

“You never asked up until then,” he said sullenly, as if it was Makoto's fault all along. Maybe an embarrassed Haru was good too.

“Yes, yes, my mistake. We should get going, though. Their classes are going to let out soon.”

“... Just another minute.”

"... Sure."


	18. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every bean is spilled but the most important one.

“Hey, Haru-chan,” Nagisa mumbled, his forehead pressed against Haru's back. “When you said you thought I was a half-breed...”

Haru grunted, leaning over Nagisa's homework and casually correcting a math problem. The younger boy had missed so many classes that he'd started to fall seriously behind, but luckily he knew someone with a hidden tender heart. “What about it. I haven't met a lot of incubi, but you seemed a lot more restrained than the ones I knew of, so I just. Thought you were part human.”

Though he knew the other boy couldn't see it, Nagisa grinned to himself. Not his usual manic smile, but something more subtle in its essence. “... thanks, Haru-chan.”

The response he got took a little while. “Do you really hate it that much?” It was obvious what he meant, and Nagisa's lips turned downward as he considered his answer.

“Well... at first, yeah. I wanted to be around other kids so badly when I was little, you know? There aren't a lot of my kind, after all. I was desperate to have friends. But my parents were so worried about us. They knew how humans could be affected by us, and how, boy or not, I could...” Nagisa paused for a long moment. “I hated it. I did. When my oldest sister turned thirteen – girls mature faster, just like humans – my parents knew they couldn't let her and my other sisters stay in such a dangerous place.”

“So you moved.”

“... yeah.” Chewing on his bottom lip, Nagisa sighed. There was no use in being vague about it. “When she was thirteen, one of her teachers was affected. We had an idea of what could happen, but... we were too naïve and thought it couldn't happen to us. My parents had already been worried about us being attacked before we came of age, but this was the last straw for them, so they did what they needed to in order to protect us.”

Haru turned at that, fixing Nagisa with an expression that was both sympathetic and worried. “And your sister, she...?”

“She was fine. We caught it early, after all... the second she caught him hovering around her more frequently, asking her to stay after school to talk about her essays, you know, she told my parents. And we were gone the next week. He never laid a hand on her.”

“... good.”

“Haru-chan, I think you need to tell Mako-chan.” This got the response he knew it would; Haruka's shoulders tensing and his face setting in a blank mask. “What are you afraid of? If you just tell him everything, he'll-”

“ _He'll feel terrible._ ” Haru whispered, staring down at the sheet of math problems in front of him. “He'll feel guilty and he'll question himself and everything, wondering if he's holding me hostage, always doubting how I feel, and...”

“He thinks you don't trust him!”

“I do! I do trust him! I just don't...”

Nagisa's scowl made Haruka wince.

“I don't trust me.” 

* * *

 

“I'm so sorry, Makoto-senpai,” Rei said for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I wanted to tell you, really, I did, but Nagisa forbade me-”

“ _Rei_ ,” Makoto sighed, resting his forehead in his palms. “I'm not mad at you and I don't blame you. You were respecting Nagisa's privacy. I understand that. If it were Haru, I'd- what?”

Rei had never had anything resembling a decent poker face. Makoto immediately turned to staring at the sky, not making eye contact so he wouldn't have to see the conflicting emotions passing over his underclassman's face.

“Has Haruka-senpai said anything to you?” The other boy was fidgeting ever so slightly, and it looked so unfitting. “About...”

“Nope.”

“Did... you ask?”

“Once. He didn't want to talk about it then, so I didn't ask again.” Makoto reached into his bag, rummaging around for the water bottle he knew he'd put in there. A notebook slid out, the rings catching and dragging the pelt out with it.

Makoto knew something was wrong when he heard Rei's breath catch.

 

* * *

 

“Haru... Rei told me.”

“ _He's **what**?”_

“ _I've already said too much, Makoto-senpai! Just... please, forget I said anything! Haruka-senpai doesn't even know that I know, and-”_

“ _Rei, tell me_ _ **right now.** ”_

Haruka froze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car.

“ _Why didn't he tell me?”_

“ _Makoto-senpai...” A tissue packet was offered, hesitantly. Makoto waved it off, staring down at the pelt - Haruka's pelt, fuck, he was so stupid. He should have known._

“It wasn't his fault, I made him.” Makoto didn't meet Haru's eyes. “I'm sorry. I just... I wanted to know so badly.”

Haruka said nothing, just staring with increased fixation on the pelt in Makoto's hands. His lips parted as if he was going to say something, and his fingers twitched. “Put it away,” he managed, turning to staunchly refuse the offering. “Put it away _now_.”

“ _I don't understand the lore so well, but from what I've read, a selkie will shed its pelt under certain circumstances, and if it's stolen, they're compelled to serve or obey the person who holds it. A... lot of the stories I've seen involve men stealing pelts and forcing a selkie woman to marry them. As long as they're denied their pelt, they're locked in a human form and cannot return to the sea._ ”

_Makoto felt his stomach lurch. “Then, I...”_

“ _Makoto-senpai, you had no idea! And Haruka-senpai could have told you it was his at any point, but he didn't, and that_ _ **means** something!”_

“Haru-”

“I don't _want it!_ ” Despite his words, Haru's shoulders were shaking. “I don't need it...”

It was as if he were trying to convince himself of the fact.

When he finally turned back to face Makoto, his pupils had blown so wide that there was barely a ring of blue around them.


	19. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto makes a mistake.
> 
> Rei comes to a realization.
> 
> Nagisa's fears are realized.
> 
> Rin makes a decision.
> 
>  
> 
> And as for Haru...

When Makoto realized what had happened, it was already too late. His hands were empty, and the door had slammed shut. He'd been too mesmerized by eerie look in Haruka's eyes to notice what was happening, really. There hadn't even been a chance to do anything.

Those were all excuses.

Makoto just hadn't known what to do.

 

* * *

 

“Nagisa?” Rei had spoken before he really thought about it, the faint concern in his voice sparked by the sudden ominous feeling sinking in the pit of his stomach.

“Mmm?” Nagisa rolled over a little, taking up the entirety of Rei's bed as the other boy sat on the floor – ostensibly doing his homework, but actually pouring over several articles he'd printed out regarding mythological creatures.

“I, uh... Never mind.”

“That's no good, Rei-chan.” The pout on Nagisa's face utterly broke his resistance. “What's wrong?”

“I think,” Rei began, slowly setting his pencil down, “That in the interest of doing good, I might have done something very bad.”

The words on the page in front of him read, “ _They are not able to make contact with that human again for seven years, unless the human is to steal their selkie's skin and hide it or burn it.”_

 

* * *

 

Haruka's footsteps sounded loud even to him, but not nearly as loud as the sound of his own breathing; struggling, trying to keep from sobbing. Choking on air. He wasn't in control of the situation anymore. Even aware as he was that he was mostly to blame, the sudden fear of his secrets being spilled without his knowledge or permission still filled him. He'd messed up. And now he wasn't the one determining what was told when.

He'd waited too long.

And, clutched to his chest, was the pelt that he'd hoped never to see again.

 

* * *

 

“Also, senpai, I-”

“Nitori, we go to _different schools_. You don't have to call me senpai. It's awkward.” Rin kicked a rock into the grass, hands wedged firmly in his pockets. It had been enough of a struggle to get Nitori to stop referring to him as Matsuoka-senpai, but just calling him by his name without any superficial honorifics was going to take ages. Rin had never understood the whole honorific thing in the first place – he wasn't really culturally Japanese anyway. It had been years since he'd been in Japan, unlike Kou. Maybe she was disappointed in him for having become a rude person.

“R-right, well. I was wondering if you've seen the aquarium here? It's really quite big, and. I mean, well, not that I assumed you'd like the aquarium because you're... I mean...”

Rin wondered if this counted as accidental discrimination. Nitori was doing his best, after all. Nagisa had practically given him a heart attack in the restrooms by absentmindedly tucking his tail in, and the result was that the newcomer was being overwhelmed by the sudden influx of non-human students. It was kind of ridiculous, after all, that more than one non-human would end up in the same town, much less four at the same school.

“And, well, I don't know how much your sister has-”

The sound of someone running caught Rin's attention, and he held up a hand to hush Nitori as the clatter of a trash can being knocked over rang out. It was by pure chance that Rin saw Haruka – just the back of his head as the boy made a beeline for what Rin realized instinctively was the coast. He didn't need to see what Haru was clutching to his chest to know what it was. Haru had a hell of a head-start on him, but there wasn't any other option.

Without a second thought, Rin broke into a full sprint. 

* * *

 

“Keep going! Rei-chan, you can't quit now, come on! We're almost there!” Nagisa yelled, practically tripping around a corner as he turned it at top speed. Despite his words, Rei was far ahead of the other boy, his perfect running form from track coming in handy. As soon as he'd admitted his mistake to Nagisa, any trace of lazy contentment vanished from him, and it was within minutes that the pair had burst from the Ryugazaki residence in a state of panic only compounded by the text message they'd received from Makoto.

“Nagisa, you head for Makoto-senpai's house! If he's on his way you'll intercept him, but if he's already passed our current location I'll be able to catch up!”

“Right!”

It was these decisions that resulted in Nagisa and Rin colliding with one another, only to be stumbed quite literally upon by Makoto.

The absurdity of the situation was appreciated by no one.

Nagisa let out an unholy shriek as he attempted to haul himself to his feet again, his eyes wide and filling with angry tears. He managed to kick Rin in the nose in the process. Makoto scrambled upright with a panicked question on his face, and as Rin used the taller boy as a support to yank himself up, he flung a hand out in the approximate direction Haru was going. No one spoke as they simultaneously took off again. Any blame to be thrown around or squabbling to be done could wait, not that it crossed anyone's mind.

* * *

 

On the rocky coastline, his face twisted in pain and regret, Haru held the fur that had once been a part of him. The desperate pounding of his heart and the instinct to return to the sea warred with each other; it was enough to keep him motionless for a full ten seconds.

Ten seconds was more than enough time for Rei to leap out from behind a rock and tackle him to the sand.


	20. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

By the time Makoto, Nagisa, and Rin reached the shore, Rei was in determined possession of the pelt. Haru, on the other hand, was a picture of misery. He looked haggard, almost like he was ill, and he kept glancing skittishly towards the waves.

Makoto felt something in his heart wither.

It was Rin who went to him first, crouching and holding a hand out to the forlorn selkie. “Hey. I thought you'd made your decision already,” he said quietly, his face schooled carefully blank. Maybe Rin had some tact in him after all. Haru only stared at the outstretched palm, his eyebrows drawn together. And then he looked down at his own hands, an ashamed look flitting across him. Rin sighed. “I get it, though. The pull's strong.”

“I...” Blue eyes shot back and forth, from the waves coming into the shore mere feet from him, back to Rin, and then, finally, to Makoto. Rei had handed the other boy the pelt sometime while Haru and Rin had been distracted.

Slowly, Haru pulled himself to his feet, accepting Rin's extended hand. With wobbling steps, he made his way to Makoto's side, leaning against him as if he were unable to stand on his own. Makoto's shoulders tensed when Haru's hand rested on his, the pelt clutched between them.

No one said a word for a long time.

Haru made no attempt to take what, by all means, belonged to him. If he had, Makoto wasn't sure what he would do. And then, he felt the fingers wrapped around his shaking. Something lit up in his head, a circuit connecting that had never been able to before.

“That summer... you were there.”

Haru didn't say anything, but the trembling of his hands stopped.

“You know... I always thought that there had been something that saved me. It was unreasonable that I found my way back to shore, but my parents never questioned it. They just counted their blessings that I wasn't gone.” Makoto took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, and let it out again. “You gave this to me, back then. When I was a stupid kid who wanted to get back at the ocean for taking someone I cared about away. You gave me my life, after I carelessly risked it. And... you gave me yours, too.”

His fingers dug deep into the fur. Haru made a faint noise, his cheeks turning pink with sudden, misplaced embarrassment.

“It was an accident,” he mumbled. “I wasn't supposed to ever take it off. But you wouldn't let go, and I panicked... at first, I thought that I had to find some way to get it back without you knowing. But then, you wanted to be my friend. You had no idea who I was, and I'm not like humans at all, but you still wanted to be my friend, and you were never troubled by it. I... my mother told me that humans were cruel and would hurt us. I didn't understand, at all. You didn't act like that. You were just... Makoto.”

Haru bit his lower lip, before visibly gathering his courage and meeting Makoto's eyes. “By the time I had the chance to take it back, I didn't. I didn't want it. I knew you would take care of it... of me. It's yours now.”

He didn't say, _“I'm yours._ ”

He didn't have to.

“But you...”

Haru winced a little, looking down at their joined hands. “It's like an itch in the back of my head. After so long, it just... becomes unbearable.”

“Haru...” Makoto began, not knowing yet what he wanted to say. _Don't leave me,_ maybe. But that wasn't right. _Do what makes you happy,_ perhaps, would be the right thing to say. If Haru was happy, that would be enough for him too. It would be enough... He couldn't say _I love you._ It didn't matter that Makoto knew it was the truth. He did love Haru. But if he were to say that, and Haru chose to leave, how would he recover? So he settled for letting his voice trail off softly, unable to convey the feelings whirling in his heart.

Haru rested his forehead against Makoto's chest, doing nothing but forcing his breathing to be steady and even. And then, with a voice that didn't tremble in the slightest, he said two words.

“Burn it.”

 

* * *

 

It took a few moments for that to sink in. Quietly, Makoto took a shaking breath. “Are...”

“I'm sure,” Haru said immediately, with such conviction that for a moment Makoto couldn't respond. Of course he'd know what Makoto was going to say. They knew each other better than anyone. Now, more than ever...

He knew Haru.

Haru, who had never liked to lie. Haru, who had the worst poker face he'd ever seen, counting his own. Haru, who was willing to give up a part of himself for... them.

He wouldn't say anything like, “ _You can't undo this once it's done,”_ or “ _What if you change your mind?_ ” Haru already knew that.

Makoto nodded, and Haru's squared shoulders began to relax.

“But on one condition.”

“... what.”

“I have to give something up too.”

Haru's confused expression changed to an irritated one. “This isn't enough?” He shook the pelt that was still held between them meaningfully, making Makoto raise his eyebrows.

“Haru... that's yours.”

“I told you already, didn't I?” His tone was suddenly tinged with exasperation. “It's yours. When it was mine, I never considered it anything special, but you treasured it more than I ever did. It's more yours than it ever was mine.”

“But, that's still not fair at all! It's... compared to you giving up a whole potential life, this material thing is just-”

With a look of utmost stubbornness on his face, Haru kissed him. When he drew away, he mumbled, “I'm not giving up a thing.”

It was enough.

  

* * *

 

They never asked why Nagisa had a lighter. In the end, no one wanted to know. 

* * *

 

Makoto had cried when the fur first caught, sitting there on the beach with Haru's hand in his as the sun began to set. Not out of sadness or regret, but merely because, after all, he was the most emotional of them all. Rin, Nagisa, and Rei stood a ways off – after all, this was a moment for Makoto and Haruka, and everyone knew it.

There was an air of ceremony to the whole thing, in the end. The slowly-spreading fire that eventually consumed the pelt came with an overwhelming feeling of change. As the smell of burning fur faded, embers taken on the breeze to scatter into the sea, Haruka turned to face him, and a subtle tension had melted from his features.

“The pull is gone,” Rin murmured to Rei, who nodded faintly. He waited for a few moments, before taking his hands off Nagisa's shoulders.

Makoto took a deep breath, the smell of salt water filling his nostrils. He'd never liked the ocean, but it had given him something more precious than he could ever imagine. Maybe it was fitting that they stood here – the shore that changed their lives years ago now stood witness to another change. A final decision to stay together.

By the time Makoto's lips had met Haruka's, Nagisa was already speeding across the sand to tackle them in a hug. Seconds later, Rin joined them, and, with smiling faces, four hands reached out to Rei.

“Rei-chan, you're the hero of the story!”

“Turns out you did something right after all, huh?”

“We wouldn't be here without you.”

 

“Rei... thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, everything is thanks to Rei-chan! Thank you, Rei, for doing what you thought was right against all rules and common sense.
> 
> When I first started this fic, I didn't expect to see so many people flock to it. It gave me a lot of encouragement to do my absolute best! (So maybe, in the end, you guys are the real heroes?!?)
> 
> I feel like there's a lot of potential left in this universe. I put an unexpected amount of effort into worldbuilding, but not all of it had a chance to really shine. So maybe, in the future, I'll write some other tales taking place in this world! After all, who wouldn't want to see Mr. and Mrs. Nanase now that they've had the closest thing they'll ever have to a wedding?! (Don't tell Makoto that he's the wife.) How do you think Samezuka's Captain will cope with learning that the hot girl he may or may not be dating has gills? (Spoiler: he's pumped.) Will Nitori ever be able to call Rin by his name? (Even I don't know.)
> 
> There are plenty of little loose strings dangling off that one day I hope to see to.
> 
> But, at the same time, I feel like this story has come to its natural conclusion. The way I'm ending this is the way that feels right to me. 
> 
> So to everyone who's read up to this point, thank you, and...
> 
> See you next water time!


End file.
